Depths of the Abyss
by alightintheshadows
Summary: Companion fic to "In His Own Hell" and "War Rages On." As Amestris and Drachma are on the brink of war, the Drachmans will stop at nothing to make Edward cooperate. How will Roy handle his young subordinate remaining a prisoner of Drachma? Parental!Roy.
1. Chapter 1

**Well…hello! I honestly can't explain it, but I suddenly had the passion to write a companion fic to "In His Own Hell" and "War Rages On." This will explore what happened during those four months Ed was held prisoner in Drachma. Only "In His Own Hell" needs to be read to understand this story.**

 **As of right now, I'm planning on this story being primarily focused on Ed, but there will definitely be some Roy in there! Maybe some Parental!RoyAl….**

 **Warnings: Overall, this story will be dark. There will be some torture and gore. Some mature themes may be implied later on, but absolutely nothing explicit.**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

He smiled as he heard the snow crunching as they drove along the road. He glanced down to the crate underneath him, eyeing the holes he personally drilled. His smile widened.

"It can't be much longer, sir."

He looked to the man sitting on the other side of the truck and ran a hand through his long, black hair.

"We almost didn't make it," he couldn't help but say aloud.

It had been a quiet few days. They hadn't stopped moving. They couldn't afford not to.

All that time they spent awaiting the order…all that time spent planning for this attack….

 _And they had to leave the Flame Alchemist behind._

"Do you think General Lebedev—"

"I don't know!" he unintentionally snapped. He buried his face in his hands when he realized how harsh he sounded to his comrade. "I'm sorry, Corin. Given the circumstances, I'm just relieved we got the kid and made it out. However," he shifted his gaze to the hatch at the back of the truck, "I honestly don't what Raulf is going to think. We followed his orders, but…."

The truck came to a stop. He rose up from the crate and Corin got to his feet. The lantern Corin lit for them in the back of the truck did nothing to prepare him for the sunlight that flooded in the second the hatch was lifted. Both men saluted instantly.

A lone man stepped up into the back of the truck and returned their salute. It had been years since either soldier had actually seen the man, yet he didn't seem to change at all. He wore his usual gruff expression, and it added to the already building tension between them; however, it didn't last long as the gruff features split into a massive grin.

"Vincent…it's been far too long!" He walked forward and grabbed the younger man in a tight embrace. After a moment, he stepped back. "You have him?"

Vincent nodded, turning back to the crate he had previously been sitting on and opening it up. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

The two stared at the young boy curled up inside the crate. Vincent knelt down and removed the blanket covering the kid, the sunlight now reflecting off the automail limbs.

General Lebedev's eyes widened at the amount of blood covering the boy. He reached out and stroked the reddish-brown mess that was his hair. He laughed and shook his head.

"I can't believe Colonel Mustang was willing to let his subordinate go through everything you put him through and finally caved in at the very end. Didn't he realize that meant the kid suffered for nothing?"

Vincent's eyebrows rose. He opened his mouth, but the General was already speaking.

"Corin contacted me once you obtained Colonel Mustang's cooperation. The events that transpired after that were rather unfortunate, but I suppose that was out of our control." He glanced down at the boy in the crate. "We need to get him inside. Any idea when he's supposed to wake up?"

Vincent nodded.

"He should be waking up fairly soon. I gave him all of the remaining sedative we had left from the explosion. I thought he would have woken up a few hours ago…." he trailed off and tilted his head to the side.

General Lebedev chuckled.

"I think you may have been a little too rough on him, Vincent." He clapped a hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "That's why he's going to be your responsibility. I would much rather have him willingly cooperate instead of forcing it, but I will do so if we have no other options. You were able to break the Flame Alchemist, so I hope you could manage to do the same with his subordinate."

Vincent's demonic grin mirrored his superior's.

Without needing to be asked, he wrapped the blanket back around the kid, scooping him up into his arms. The General walked with him inside the base.

Vincent swallowed thickly before breaking the silence between him and his superior.

"Sir, are we going to address the fact that we don't have Colonel Mustang?"

Raulf's eyes darkened, making Vincent's blood run cold.

Luka's betrayal may have been unexpected and out of his control, but there still had to be consequences for not bringing back the Flame Alchemist; if not from Raulf, then the other generals.

"While the other generals are not exactly pleased with the Amestrians invading our base in Kanon," his superior began, "they did admit that you reacted well and made the right decision by leaving Mustang behind. I'm almost certain that's the reason you made it out with the kid. They were honestly surprised we didn't lose more men than we did. There shouldn't be any repercussions. They wanted a human weapon, and we can force the Fullmetal Alchemist to cooperate so they have one."

Vincent nodded, smiling to himself.

They didn't have the Flame Alchemist; however, they _could_ as far Edward was concerned.

 ***break***

Ed could hear voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. It was like hearing someone speak underwater. He willed his eyes to open, but they wouldn't obey him. He groaned and shifted around slightly, causing someone to stroke his hair in an attempt to calm him down; however, it was having the complete opposite effect.

Just the mere touch of this person's fingers in his hair was making his skin crawl.

 _That's..that's not Mustang…._

The voices were becoming clearer.

"I think he's finally starting to come around."

It took a couple of tries, but he managed to pry his eyes open.

And he wanted to shut them again immediately.

Vincent and someone else he didn't recognize were looming over him. The man had black hair like Vincent, but it was shorter and had streaks of gray in it as well.

This must be Vincent's superior.

Ed blinked, trying to break through the cloudiness of the sedative. He wanted to get away, but his limbs were like lead. He couldn't get himself to move. He risked a glance back to Vincent, having to suppress a shudder when he realized it was Vincent who was stroking his hair.

 _Where am I?_

As if Vincent could read his mind, spoke up.

"Welcome to Drachma, Edward Elric."

 _Drachma…I can't be in Drachma..._

"N-No…." he rasped out.

Vincent's clown-like grin spread even further across his face.

"Now, Edward, don't be like that. You and the Colonel just got here! You haven't even seen your new home yet!"

Ed's eyes widened the second he mentioned Mustang, and Vincent certainly noticed.

"Where…is he?"

Vincent reached out to stroke Ed's cheek, causing the teen to shut his eyes and turn his head away from the contact.

"Our generals are interrogating him as we speak. He promised to cooperate, but your military invading our base and nearly finding you two sparked a little rebellion in him. For your sake, I hope he remembers his place soon."

"This can't be…this can't be happening."

 _Mustang promised he would get me out. This has to be a dream._

The fingers stroking his cheek ran over his dry, bloody lips. He couldn't stop the shiver that tremored throughout his body.

"Why don't you take him to get cleaned up?" the stranger suggested. "He hasn't even gotten the chance to see the base yet. He should be a bit more awake and cooperative after that. Then he can meet the other generals. I know they're wanting to see him."

Ed's eyes shot back open when he felt Vincent's arms under his back and legs, lifting him with ease.

"N-No. Put me down!"

He tried squirming out of Vincent's hold, but that only resulting in pain shooting throughout his broken ribs and his mutilated back. Much against his will, he let out a strangled cry at the agony. He could feel the rumble from Vincent's chest as he chuckled.

"I wouldn't advise struggling, Edward. You know you're in absolutely no condition to do such a thing."

Ed didn't even have the strength to respond. The drug still in his system and his futile struggling drained what little energy he had in him. He had no choice but to let Vincent carry him.

Vincent let out a content sigh when he entered the bedroom.

"It's been over ten years since I've returned to the base. It certainly feels good to be home!"

He carried Ed into the bathroom, setting him on the sink. He let go of Ed just long enough to reach over to the bath tub and turn on the water. Grabbing a washcloth, he started washing some of the blood off Ed's face. The teen winced at the cold water.

"Let's get some of this blood off you," Vincent muttered to himself.

"Don't touch me!" Ed hissed, trying to lean away from the Drachman.

Vincent shook his head.

"So ungrateful."

He glanced at the tub. Determining that it was full enough, he picked Ed up and set him down in the water, not even bothering to take off his blood soaked pants. A pit formed in Ed's stomach when he saw the smirk on Vincent's face. It grew when the man put a hand on his head and pushed him down.

"Wait—"

Ed barely got a breath before he was shoved under the water. Two strong hands on his shoulders kept him submerged until his lungs screamed for oxygen. Just when he thought they were about to burst, Vincent pulled him up.

He just gulped in a lungful of precious air before Vincent shoved him back down.

He wanted to fight back. He tried to, but it took herculean effort to even raise his arms. Vincent yanked him up again by his hair, but kept him above the water.

"Edward," he said in a creepily calm manner, "I'm trying to clean you up and redress your wounds, and you repay me by trying to fight me off? That kind of behavior can't go unpunished."

He pushed Ed back under the water, but held him down longer than before. Panic flared through the young alchemist. Vincent had drowned him once before. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind the sadistic man would do it again.

Suddenly, he was pulled up out of the water. He coughed and opened his eyes, noticing that the water was already turning red. He flinched when Vincent leaned in close to him, but the grip on his hair kept him in place.

"I hope you learned your lesson, Edward," Vincent whispered in his ear. "You need to remember that the Colonel is just as much a bargaining chip for your good behavior as you are for his." He grinned when fear glazed over Ed's eyes. "I know you're thinking about all the fun we had in Kanon. I have no problems with doing the same to Mustang. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you stop resisting me."

Relief flooded through Ed as Vincent drained the bloody water. He didn't dare move when Vincent refilled the tub. He clenched his eyes shut as the Drachman scrubbed the blood and grime off his skin. Much to his surprise, Vincent was actually careful when he was cleaning around Ed's wounds. It took a while, but Vincent managed to get all of the dirt and blood washed out of his hair.

Even though Ed kept his eyes closed, he could feel Vincent's smile, as if the man knew how hard it was for him not to flinch or move away from his touch. Suddenly, Vincent was pulling him up and out of the tub, setting him on his feet.

Wrapping his captive in a towel, Vincent shoved Ed back to his room. He smiled when he saw the items he requested on his dresser. With Ed regaining enough of his strength to at least stand on his own two feet, Vincent grabbed a syringe and plunged it into Ed's neck, relishing in the surprised cry he elicited from the kid.

"What are you…."

Vincent chuckled.

"It's only a muscle relaxant. Nothing to be afraid of, Edward."

Threatening the Colonel would only work for a while, especially with Ed not actually seeing him. He couldn't take any chances. Ed practically fell back into his arms. He dragged the kid over to his bed, yanking the soaked pants off his body.

After making sure he was thoroughly dry, he grabbed a pair of black pants and a black shirt from his dresser. As he finished dressing the kid, there was a knock on his door. Raulf entered.

"The generals would like to see Major Elric now. Is he ready?"

Vincent nodded. Picking up the kid and following his superior, they left his room and made their way through the base. He looked down at the boy in his arms, whose head involuntarily was resting on his chest. He briefly met those golden eyes.

Much like he saw in Mustang's eyes in Kanon, there was hope and defiance.

He couldn't wait to absolutely destroy it.

 **Well, there's the first chapter! It felt so good to write Vincent again! I kind of missed him….**

 **Anyways, I hope you all liked it! This chapter will probably be the shortest in this fic. It just felt like the best place to stop. Next chapter will explore a little into how Roy is doing when he returns to Central. For anyone reading "The Sun Still Rises," I apologize for the delay but I am working on the third chapter! Until then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I have returned with another chapter! It makes my heart so happy to see that you all enjoyed the first one! The response from you all is incredible and encourages me more than you all could ever understand! Anyways, on with the story!**

 **Warnings: Vincent will be…well…Vincent. Enough said.**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its awesome characters. I just own a few OCs.**

"Let go, bastard!"

Vincent rolled his eyes as he tightened his grip on Ed's flesh arm. The muscle relaxant was mostly out of the kid's system due to the meeting with the other generals running a bit long. The second those two were alone, Ed had squirmed out of Vincent's arms, determining that he would not be carried.

He was starting to regret that decision.

The moment his feet hit the ground, Vincent twisted his flesh arm behind his back. The harsh yank that followed nearly sent him to his knees, but the man kept him upright and forced him roughly down the hall. His entire body screamed in protest.

Vincent smirked as he watched the young alchemist's face contort in agony.

"Edward, I know I've told you that you shouldn't struggle." He twisted Ed's arm even more, and Ed was surprised his shoulder wasn't pulled out of its socket. "You're only going to irritate your injuries. We don't want that, now do we?"

The hairs on the back of Ed's neck stood up. He clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to see the demonic smile he knew possessed Vincent's face at that moment.

He might have been under orders to do whatever it took to get Mustang to cooperate, but Ed couldn't forget the pleasure that danced in the man's eyes as he forced the Colonel to whip him…as he broke every one of Ed's fingers…as he carved into Ed's stomach….

It was sickening.

As they made their way down the corridor, he noticed two Drachmans standing in front of one of the many doors that lined the long hallway. Once they reached the door, the two soldiers stepped aside, allowing Vincent to shove Ed into the cell.

Ed's eyes widened upon entering, instantly recognizing the array that decorated every inch of the room. The array that prevented him from performing alchemy.

He couldn't help but notice how much smaller this cell was compared to the one the Drachmans kept him in back in Kanon. His heart sank.

 _They're keeping me away from the Colonel._

Vincent let him go. He collapsed to his knees. His voice caught in his throat.

"Why…wh-why are you keeping me away from him?"

Vincent knelt in front of him, taking his face in his hands. Running his thumbs under the kid's eyes, Ed's tormentor tilted his head to the side, as if expecting tears to start falling. He didn't answer his captive's question, causing the despair within Ed to slowly start boiling into anger.

Ed tried to get out of Vincent's grasp.

"I know he's here!" His voice was getting stronger. "I want to see him! I want to see him now!"

Suddenly, the hands on his face moved to grip his throat. Vincent stood up and held him out as far and as high as he could. He desperately reached out with his automail arm, trying to land a blow that would cause Vincent to let go. Unfortunately, his arms weren't long enough. He tried digging his nails into the hands wrapped around his throat, momentarily forgetting that his fingernails had been cruelly ripped off and his fingers had been broken. He let out a agonized scream from the pain that erupted throughout his hand, or he would have if it could have manifested beyond the hands crushing his throat.

His captor's eyes gleamed as his face slowly turned red from the lack of oxygen. He made one last effort to escape by kicking out his legs, but he could barely lift them.

Vincent's chuckle echoed in the small room.

"Edward, I told you earlier, our generals are in the process of interrogating your superior. As difficult as he's being, it's going to be awhile before I even consider the idea of letting him see you. That aside, you are not in any position to be making demands. Even when Mustang starts cooperating, you will only see him _when I allow it._ Do you understand?" He gave Ed a rough shake when the kid failed to give any sort of response. "Do you understand, Edward?"

Despite the black spots starting to cloud his vision, Ed managed a slight nod.

Vincent dropped him. The young alchemist coughed as he tried to take in large gulps of air. The Drachman joined him on the ground, positioning Ed to sit up and lean back against his chest. It made it easier for the boy to catch his breath. He could feel the tension in Ed as his breathing slowly evened out, only interrupted by an occasional wheeze.

He leaned in until his lips were right next to Ed's ear.

"You're in Drachma now." He tucked a piece of Ed's hair that had fallen in front of his face behind his ear. "My commanding officer has left you in my care. What you want doesn't matter. What matters is what _I_ want and what actions _I_ see fit."

The hand in his hair trailed down to his shoulder then slowly down to his waist, briefly touching the scarred skin beneath his shirt.

"No…."

Ed fell back on the ground with a thud when Vincent moved out from behind him. He clenched his eyes shut when Vincent's face hovered mere inches over own. His captor pushed his shirt up, running his fingers over the carving he'd made just days ago.

Ed started to tremble.

"I don't want this…I never wanted this…."

Vincent's lips found their way back to Ed's ear.

"Weren't you listening, Edward? What you want doesn't matter anymore."

Suddenly, the hands were gone. A chuckle rumbled throughout the Drachman. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Ed's head.

"Get some rest, kid. You're going to need it."

The second Vincent got off him, Ed curled up on his side and wrapped his arms as tight as he could around himself. He heard the door slam shut and lock, but he didn't move from his position on the floor.

His shaking didn't stop either.

 ***break***

" _I'll do it."_

 _He didn't think his response had even been audible, but Vincent had obviously heard it because he giggled in absolute glee._

" _Get him down!"_

 _Two of the black-clad men sprang into action, one lowering him to the ground and the other freeing him of his wrist and ankle restraints. He looked around, briefly considering the notion of attacking their captor, but they were greatly outnumbered. Besides, Ed would likely get punished for his actions._

 _Another Drachman lowered his subordinate until he was on his knees._

 _He was led over to Corin, who held out a whip for him to take. He sighed deeply and stared at it, trying to mentally prepare himself. His efforts were interrupted by Vincent chuckling._

" _Any day now, Colonel."_

 _He glared at their captor and begrudgingly took the whip. Fire burned in his eyes as he watched Vincent walk over to Ed and stroke his braid, moving it over his shoulder._

 _How dare the bastard even think he had the right to act like he was trying to comfort the kid?_

" _I should let you know that if I see you holding back, I'll have Corin continue from where you left off, but the count will increase to forty lashes," Vincent said with a malicious smirk as he moved away from Ed._

 _He nodded and walked behind his youngest subordinate. He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. Should he say something to comfort the kid? Should he at least apologize for what he was about to do?_

 _But that would be showing weakness in front of the Drachmans…he couldn't do that…he couldn't let them see how much this truly disturbed him…._

 _Ed knew he didn't want to do this, right?_

 _Watching the kid get tortured was emotionally and psychologically scarring enough. Vincent certainly knows this._

 _This was the man's next step of breaking him._

 _He raised the whip, barely able to believe that he was actually doing it. Taking a deep breath, he brought it down, slightly flinching when he heard the crack it made when it hit Ed's flesh. This only elicited a grunt of pain from his subordinate._

 _One down…only nineteen more to go._

 _Whoosh. Crack. Whoosh. Crack._

 _The kid was tough, even tougher than he expected. Most grown men probably would have cried at this point. He had to keep going. The faster he delivered the lashes, the sooner this would end._

 _But then a butcher knife slashed through his heart._

 _Ed actually cried out in pain, causing him to hesitate with his arm poised to bring the whip down again._

" _Keep going, Mustang."_

 _He brought the whip down again. And again. And again._

 _He was so close to finishing. Only four more lashes. He nearly gasped when he brought the whip back for the seventeenth lash. He knew it the second he extended his arm. The whip hit too far to Ed's right. He could only stare in horror as the whip wrapped around Ed's stomach._

 _He didn't even want to think about how deep it cut into the skin._

 _The agonized scream echoed in his ears as he delivered the last three lashes. He'd made it to twenty._

 _He was done…._

 _He looked down at his shirt, noting how Ed's blood was splattered across it. He dropped the bloody whip and rushed forward, sliding to his knees in front of the kid and taking his face into his hands._

 _Ed's eyes were open, but showed no signs of life._

" _Ed?" He felt along Ed's neck for a pulse…but found none. "Ed!"_

"Roy!" a voice hissed.

The Colonel jolted awake, causing Maes to stumble back in the seat across from him. He blinked a few times, slowly recognizing the clacking of train wheels against railroad tracks. He briefly glanced out the window, noticing that it was now completely dark.

The sun had just started to set the last that he remembered.

He slowly started to sit up, but it was with much difficulty considering how stiff his muscles still were. Four days in a hospital bed would do that to a man. Having to get on a train the second he was cleared by a doctor to leave didn't help the matter.

"Do you know where you are?" Maes asked quietly.

He looked around. Lieutenants Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda were asleep in the aisle across from them. He gazed around the train car. Falman and Fuery were just a few rows behind them and a few other soldiers from South City that were escorting them home at the very back. Everyone was asleep. After a few deep breaths, he faced his best friend again.

"Yeah…yeah I know where I am."

 _Ed should be here…he should be the one heading back to Central._

He slowly sat up, moving his feet from the seat next to him. Maes quickly took their place and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Roy ran a hand through his hair that was slightly damp. He cleared his throat.

"I'm fine."

"Bullshit."

He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. He sighed.

"Okay…you're right…but I don't want to talk about it."

"Roy, you're going to have to—"

"I don't want to talk about it with _you_!" he hissed, grimacing instantly, as if the acid in his tone was tangible on his tongue. "Maes, I'm sorry. It's just…I can't…not right now, okay?"

His best friend nodded and tried his best to give him a reassuring grin. The two sat in silence until they heard the car door open and a third person joined them.

"General Raven," they greeted in a simultaneous whisper, trying to be courteous to those sleeping in their car.

They both started to get to their feet and salute, but it took Roy a bit longer to stand up. Raven quickly dismissed it.

"There's no reason for that."

Noticing the Colonel's struggles, he and Maes lowered him back down into his seat.

"Now that you're awake," he began, "I thought I should tell you that I've spoken with Fuhrer Bradley. He wants a report of the events that happened in Kanon."

Roy felt his best friend tense next to him. The General didn't seem to be too happy about having to tell him this.

"When?" Maes quietly snapped.

Raven sighed.

"He said he'd be willing to give you a couple of days to rest if you need it, but that's the most he can do. He's calling all of the generals to Central for this meeting. He feels that it's best for everyone to hear all the information you have at once."

The Lieutenant Colonel's eyebrows rose.

"All of them? Even General Armstrong?"

Raven nodded. Honestly, Roy was surprised about that one. Of all of the generals he would've thought Fuhrer Bradley would exempt from this meeting, he would've thought it'd be Olivier.

Although, the Drachmans had infiltrated the country. No one knew how many bases they had in Amestris. Some might be as big as the one in Kanon, others might be smaller. He supposed it didn't matter if Olivier was gone from Fort Briggs for a few days.

There were already hundreds, if not thousands, of Drachmans already here.

"Tell him I'll be in tomorrow."

Both men turned to him in surprise when he spoke up.

"A-Are you sure, Colonel? I mean we're due to arrive in Central in a few hours, but shouldn't you take a little bit of time…." the General trailed off.

"No. This information needs to be reported as soon as possible."

Raven glanced to Maes, looking very concerned. He sighed before standing up.

"I suppose I can't change your mind. I'll let Fuhrer Bradley know you'll be in tomorrow afternoon. In that case, I suggest that you get some rest. I can assure you that it will be a very long day tomorrow." He made to leave the two friends, but paused and put a hand on Roy's shoulder, causing the Colonel to look up at him. "Although, if you change your mind, just tell me."

The Colonel nodded. Raven left the car, leaving a tense silence in his wake.

"Roy," Maes said after a couple of minutes, "I don't have to tell you that I don't approve of you giving your report tomorrow. We've known each other long enough that you're already aware of that, and I know you're going to do it anyway. As your friend, I am asking you that you at least rest. General Raven is right. Tomorrow will be a long day. You're going to need all the sleep you can get."

Roy nodded, but didn't say anything. The Lieutenant Colonel moved back to the seat across from his friend. With the seat next to him unoccupied, he stretched out across it on his side with his back to Maes. He heard someone shifting. Next thing he knew, Maes' jacket was draped over him.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 _A boy with reddish-brown hair stood before him, tears streaming down his cheeks._

" _Why didn't you help me, Colonel?"_

Roy's eyes flung open, and they remained that way for the rest of the train ride.

 **And there's the second chapter! I hope you all enjoyed seeing a little bit of Roy's perspective. The next chapter will be mostly Roy-centric, so that will be a joy to write. Anyways, let me know what you think! Summer class is winding down and will be over next week, so I should be able to update that weekend. That's the plan!**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Huzzah! I have returned with another chapter! It's felt so good to return to this plotline and write Vincent again. I'm glad to see you all have been enjoying it too! This chapter is purely Roy-centric. I hope you all find it to be a pleasant read! Or…as pleasant as it can be in the universe of these fics….**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

Roy took a deep breath and tried his best to ignore the aching in his back. Upon arriving to Central, he and his team were escorted straight to Central Command. Promising Maes that he would at least try to get some rest, he attempted to sleep on the couch in his office.

He didn't sleep at all, and not just because of the uncomfortable couch.

He walked with General Raven through the halls, the pit of dread growing bigger and bigger with each step they took. Raven put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Colonel?" the General asked, concern evident in his voice. "The train got in late last night. I know Fuhrer Bradley was rather insistent on you coming in for the report today, but I told you before that I'm sure I could convince him to give you a few more days given the circumstances."

The Colonel had to stop the annoyed huff that threatened to escape him.

"No. I'm not going to be any more ready in a few days than I am now. Besides, this is pertinent information that needs to be reported immediately."

He knew Raven was just concerned and was trying to help, but he needed to get this over with.

The two continued to walk in silence until they reached the conference room. Raven was about to open the door when an enraged voice from inside froze them in their tracks.

"And exactly who the hell came up with the brilliant idea of sending those two in alone?" a woman roared. "We're extremely lucky we only lost one of them!"

"I see General Armstrong made it in and has been briefed," Raven muttered, barely able to keep the fear out of his voice.

Roy tensed. How could he have forgotten that Fuhrer Bradley called every general in the Amestrian military to Central a couple of days ago for this meeting? He rubbed his eyes, as if that would keep the effects of the sleep deprivation at bay.

Raven hesitantly opened the door. All eyes turned to the two newcomers. There was an enormous table in the center of the room, surrounded by all of the generals. It was almost intimidating. Fuhrer Bradley, sitting at the head of the table, stood as they entered.

"Welcome, General Raven and Colonel Mustang!" he said in his usual jovial tone, as if this were just a friendly gathering.

 _As if my youngest subordinate wasn't in Drachma._

The Colonel glanced around the room, trying to remain stoic and not let it show how much the Fuhrer was getting on his nerves. He noticed two empty chairs next to General Grumman. If there was any upside to all of the generals being there, it's that it meant Grumman would be too. He quickly sat down next to his former superior who gave him a reassuring grin, but it seemed forced.

He could see in Grumman's eyes that he wasn't pleased with recent events. Glancing around the table, he noted that some of the generals regarded him with pity while others looked on him in disdain, as if it were his fault that he and Ed had been captured.

Depending on what Bradley already told them, they might actually think that.

He risked a look at General Armstrong. While she had appeared to calm down a little, it was quite apparent that she was still pissed. He quickly looked away.

 _She'd probably skin me alive if I look at her too long._

He almost chuckled at the thought…almost. For a split second, he had a sense of normalcy. The Fuhrer crushed it when he cleared his throat.

"Whenever you're ready, Colonel, we would like to hear your report of the events in Kanon."

Roy tried to swallow, his mouth having gone completely dry. He took a deep breath.

"The morning after we arrived, Major Elric and I went to the mine…."

 ***break***

Roy could have slumped back in his seat once he finished the report, beginning to wish he had taken General Raven's advice and rested for a little while before giving it. At the start, he told the generals everything Vincent had shared with him about Drachma: the Drachman spies hiding all throughout the nation, the fact that they had been watching him since Ishval and Fullmetal had been watched since joining the military, Drachma planning to go to war with Amestris in the next couple of years.

…how they had the means to force Ed to cooperate with them and that's why they were willing to leave the Colonel behind….

It had been difficult, but he refrained from mentioning Ed unless it was absolutely necessary. He couldn't tell these generals what horrors the two faced. Hell, he couldn't tell _anyone_. He wouldn't be able to keep himself together.

He hoped none of the generals would ask too many questions. He'd told them all of the pertinent information, taking note of the shock that crossed some of their faces when they realized just how many Drachman spies had managed to sneak into Amestris and how long they had been here.

Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky.

"Is that everything, Colonel?" Bradley asked. "I noticed that you only briefly mentioned Major Elric in your report. Is there anything else we should know?"

Roy narrowed his eyes at the man. Rage quickly drove out any fears he had of someone asking him about his subordinate, mostly because of _who_ was asking.

"What you need to know is that Major Elric was brutally tortured when I wouldn't cooperate," he said, unable to keep the coldness out of his tone. "The details of that are not relevant to preparing for this potential war, so I wish to not speak of it, sir."

The Fuhrer gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I see. I am truly sorry you had to witness that, Colonel. The events that transpired in Kanon were rather unfortunate."

"If only they could have been avoided," Grumman piped in quite bitterly.

Bradley ignored the comment. It was rather obvious that some of the other generals agreed, but they weren't bold enough to voice their opinion on the matter. The Fuhrer continued.

"From this point on, I see it fit for you to move into the dorms, Colonel. We will increase security there as well as here at Central Command. One of your subordinates should also escort you at all times. From what you've told us, the Drachmans will try to come back for you. These precautions must be taken so we don't lose another valued state alchemist. Do you have any questions about this, Colonel Mustang?"

Roy's teeth were clenched so hard he thought they might shatter.

 _Now he cares about something happening to me? If only he'd thought of that before sending Ed and I into an extremely dangerous situation…._

"With all due respect, sir, would you mind explaining to me why you're willing to take these precautions now, but you weren't willing to warn Major Elric and I about the Drachman spies spotted in the South that you had knowledge of?"

Addressing the Fuhrer is such a manner probably wasn't going to help him rise faster through the ranks, but he didn't care. Ed was a prisoner of Drachma. His _son_ was gone. He deserved some answers.

He ignored the glares some of the other generals were sending his direction, as if they couldn't believe he dared to question the Fuhrer's decisions. Others, like Armstrong and Grumman, looked genuinely curious as to how Bradley would try to justify himself. Much to his annoyance, the man's calm demeanor remained; however, his usual smile faltered a bit and his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Are you implying that the capture of you and Major Elric was my fault, Colonel Mustang?"

"You're the one who gave me the mission without the proper information, are you not?" Roy countered, raising his voice.

The Fuhrer sighed.

"If it will help you to cope to believe that, then feel free to do so, Colonel," he said, as if he truly pitied Roy. "However, you do need to understand that the only things I am to blame for are overestimating you and Major Elric's abilities as state alchemists and your ability to protect your subordinate. After General Grumman praised you so highly, I thought you were fit for this mission. I didn't think some Drachmans would be any more than you could handle, but I guess I was wrong. Had you actually lived up to my expectations, Major Elric wouldn't have been taken prisoner. You—"

"I think that's enough, sir!" Armstrong cut in.

Roy didn't even realize that he had gotten up until Grumman and Raven grabbed his arms and tried, and failed, to get him to sit back down. His entire body trembled, but hardly anyone was looking at him.

All eyes turned to Olivier at her unexpected outburst, but no one dared to question her. Honestly, everyone was too afraid to. That infuriating smile returned to Bradley's face.

"I suppose you're right, General Armstrong," he said, then he turned back to Roy. "I understand that this hasn't been an easy week for you. I would recommend that you take some time off before returning to work. You're dismissed, Colonel. As for the rest of you, we'll meet back up in an hour."

Grumman put his hands on Roy's shoulders and quickly escorted him out of the conference room and away from the other generals. Raven trailed not too far behind.

"He has some nerve!" Grumman growled under his breath. "I'm so sorry, Roy. He was way out of line. You're not at fault for anything. He's just too prideful to admit his mistake. You shouldn't have had to hear that."

Roy remained silent. He had been expecting Bradley to deny any accusations that he was at fault for the events in Kanon, but to go as far as to blame _him_ for it? He'd honestly thought the Fuhrer couldn't sink any lower than he already had, but he was obviously proven otherwise. What made matters worse was that some of the other generals believed every word the man said. Raven took the lead and guided them to his office. No one would try to bother them there. Once they arrived, Raven quickly shut the door.

"Are you okay?" the General asked.

The Colonel simply shook his head and sat down. Grumman sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his back. There was no point in lying. Grumman knew him too well for that. The two Generals remained silent, and for that he was grateful. He really didn't feel like talking anymore, and neither one made him.

Raven's face fell when there was a knock on the door. He hesitantly opened it. All three of them were surprised to see General Armstrong on the other side. Roy's eyes widened when he saw Olivier, the fact that she stood up for him to Fuhrer Bradley finally catching up with him.

"General Armstrong, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Raven asked, curious as to why she decided to pay him a visit.

"I was hoping I could speak to you and General Grumman," she said as she entered the office, her normally cold demeanor completely intact. She froze when she saw the Colonel was there. "If this isn't a good time, I can come back."

"It's fine, I was just leaving," Roy said as he stood up.

He started toward the door. Grumman stood and followed his former subordinate.

"I'll take you back to your team, Colonel." He stopped to face Olivier. "I'll be back shortly."

She nodded. Right before exiting the office, Roy spun around on his heel.

"Thank you for what you did back in that meeting, General. I didn't think you would speak up to the Fuhrer like that."

Her back was to him, but he could see her stiffen. He was half-expecting the notorious Ice Queen to deny that she did it for him.

"I don't like you, Mustang, and I never will," she said, her ice cold tone slicing through every word. She turned her head slightly, revealing one of her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I like hearing about you and your subordinate suffering for a stupid mistake Bradley made and can't seem to take responsibility for. For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened to you and Major Elric."

The Colonel's feet refused to move as he stared at Olivier, completely dumbfounded. General Armstrong apologizing to him had to be a sign of the apocalypse, right? Grumman put an arm around him and guided him toward his office. The two didn't say a word until the General broke the silence.

"She's right, you know. Fuhrer Bradley made a mistake. I know I said it to you before and I know it's hard for you to believe, but this wasn't your fault. You should have been made aware of the real threat in the South. No commanding officer should have withheld that kind of information from a subordinate, whether he thought you could handle it or not."

"But…back in that mine—"

Grumman stopped and place both hands on Roy's shoulders. The glare from the man's glasses disappeared, his eyes boring into his former subordinate's.

"You listen to me, Colonel Roy Mustang. I heard that report. Nothing more could have been done to prevent this situation the second you and Fullmetal stepped off that train. The Drachmans knew exactly who you were. They had been watching you for a long time. They restrained you instantly in that mine because they knew they'd be dead if you could snap. If you could have saved yourself and Fullmetal in the beginning, you would have _._ The Drachmans made sure you couldn't. Anyone in that room with a brain realizes that this is Bradley's fault. Unfortunately, many of them are under the delusion that the Fuhrer can do no wrong." He took a deep breath and smiled sympathetically. "But I know that doesn't make it any easier to hear otherwise."

Roy nodded. He knew his former commanding officer was right in some ways. Unfortunately, one key fact didn't change.

"Ed's still a prisoner of Drachma."

The corners of Grumman's lips quirked into a frown and his grip on Roy's shoulders tightened.

"I know. I also know you're not going to be okay until we find him. We're going to, all right? If I don't think Bradley and the other generals are putting forth enough effort into finding Major Elric, we'll come up with a plan of our own."

The Colonel grinned, just slightly.

He could always count on General Grumman.

 **Well, there's the third chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! I know Grumman probably wasn't quite this kind in the anime/manga…but he will be for my purposes. Anyways, we'll get to see Ed again next chapter! That will be fun…sort of….**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, hello! I know it's been a little while. Thank you all so much for being so patient with me! I also want to thank you all for the response to this story! It has been nothing short of amazing and encouraging! So with that…the story continues.**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

The dull ache that spread all throughout his body was the first thing Ed registered as he slowly started the return to consciousness, his sore neck being the most noticeable. His brow furrowed. He shifted slightly, feeling warm arms enveloping him. Automatically, he curled further into the strong chest he was leaning against.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt this safe.

A hand was running through his hair, untangling the knots it came into contact with as it went. He almost drifted off to sleep again…almost.

"Should we just come back later, sir?"

The kid's eyes flung open. Blinking a few times, he recognized the array decorating the walls of his cell. What he didn't expect was to see Corin leaning against the wall across from him. He blinked again.

"Are you finally with us?"

The young alchemist tensed as he felt the rumble through the chest he was leaning against as the man spoke.

 _This isn't Mustang._

He slowly looked up, his breath catching in his throat when he realized who was holding him. The arms wrapped around him—the arms he had previously thought were the warm and inviting arms he desperately missed—now made his skin crawl.

Instinctively, he squirmed to get out of Vincent's hold. The Drachman only chuckled at the futile attempts to get off his lap.

"Now, Edward, you weren't acting like this just a second ago. Corin and I just came by to give you some food and water when we saw you stirring in your sleep. You must have been having a nightmare. I try to comfort you, and all you do is repay me by trying to get away?"

Ed quickly whipped his head back into Vincent's chin. He only had a second to relish the curses that elicited from the man before Corin grabbed him by his hair and threw him off his superior. Before he even had a chance to move, Corin kicked him onto his back and brought his boot down on Ed's already bruised throat. The teen gasped for air and tried to push Corin's foot off, but the man only added more pressure, making it impossible for Ed to catch his breath.

"Ease up, will you?" Vincent said as he got to his feet.

He walked over to stand next to his subordinate, blood dripping from his split lip. Corin's brow furrowed, but he did as he was told. He released some of the pressure on Ed's neck, but just enough so the kid could breathe. Vincent seemed to sense his subordinate's confusion.

"Edward, I know this is quite the adjustment for you. It has to be difficult for you to know that your commanding officer is cooperating with us and can't see you for the time being. However, your behavior has to change. I'm going to be nice and only take away the food we brought you. We'll come back with it when we see fit. This is my last warning to you, Edward."

Vincent motioned for Corin to follow him out of the small cell. Ed took several deep breaths once Corin's foot was off his neck. The bigger Drachman only paused to pick up the bread he'd brought the kid, then he and Vincent disappeared and the cell door slammed shut. Ed dragged himself over to the wall, staring at the door and noticing he didn't hear the click of a lock.

 ***break***

 _He stared as the blood ran down the kid's fingers, staining his own hand as well before it dripped into a puddle on the ground. He tried not to vomit at the sight of the fingernails amidst the pool of blood._

" _Hey!"_

 _The hand he'd been holding was gone when their captor dragged Ed out of his reach. That didn't stop him from instinctively reaching out for his subordinate. Vincent only smiled at his efforts before gesturing to the man behind him. Much to his dismay, Corin obediently came forward and wrapped his arms around him, rendering him unable to do anything but watch as Vincent pulled his subordinate into his lap and restrained the boy's automail arm._

" _What are you doing?" he demanded._

 _The smirk Vincent sent his direction made his hair stand on-end. The man didn't say anything as he rested his head on Ed's shoulder and grabbed the kid's bloody hand._

" _No!"_

 _He winced at Ed's protest, noticing how it came out as more of a whimper. That didn't sound right coming from the brave teen he'd come to know. His eyes widened as he realized Vincent's true intentions as he took one of Ed's fingers and bent it at an unnatural angle._

 _The action was followed by a sickening crack._

 _Ed clenched his eyes shut and grit his teeth, squirming in Vincent's hold as the man grabbed another one of his fingers. He strained against Corin's arms._

" _I did what you asked! Stop!" he practically begged._

 _Crack._

Roy bolted straight up. His brow furrowed when he recognized the walls of his office. Feeling around, he realized he was laying on the couch. He let out a shuddering breath.

 _That's right. My team found me._

He ran a hand through his hair, finding it to be drenched in sweat. After evening out his breath, he got off the couch and joined the rest of his team. He nearly staggered when he entered the outer office, as if he could feel the tension within his unit. It slightly dissipated when they noticed his presence.

"Is everything all right, sir?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked.

The rest of his men tensed, waiting for an answer. He swallowed.

"Y-yes. I'm fine."

Not a single member of his unit seemed convinced, and rightfully so. After General Grumman escorted him back to the office, his men were naturally curious as to how the report had gone. The General encouraged him to go rest and he would take care of relaying the information to them. He truly didn't realize how much he needed to sleep until he laid down on the couch and fell asleep instantly.

"General Grumman said he would let us know if there was any update about the military's plans concerning Ed," Riza continued solemnly.

Roy simply nodded. It was obvious the General told them about Bradley insinuating that he was at fault for the events in Kanon. There was a moment of silence before Havoc spoke up.

"After discussing it, we've determined that you and I will room together in the dorms if Fuhrer Bradley is insistent on you moving there. Lieutenant Hawkeye will be moving in too. We both will be escorting you until this all blows over. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is heading to your place now to get your things and will meet us at the dorms. Is this okay with you, Boss?"

There was no missing the venom in Havoc's tone. The Colonel realized that the Second Lieutenant must have shared his opinion on the fact the Fuhrer is just now taking precautions concerning the Drachmans. One look around the room told him that his entire team didn't approve of this situation in the slightest, but it was too late.

All they could do now was follow orders.

Roy nodded again, just before a knock on the door resounded throughout the room. A second later, Basque Grand entered into the office. Instantly, his entire team stood and saluted. The General returned their salute, but he looked anything but pleased.

"I understand that this must be a difficult time for this unit," the man said, not sounding sympathetic in the slightest, "but you all must understand Fuhrer Bradley was acting in the best interest of our nation."

His eyes narrowed at the Colonel's men. None of them may have said anything, but their disagreement was clearly written on their faces. The Brigadier General continued.

"I know you all might have different opinions on the matter, but we can't afford to have any disunity in our military. There's a chance we'll be going to war with Drachma soon, and we can't have anyone questioning the Fuhrer's decisions. If any information regarding the events in Kanon escapes beyond this unit, I will disband it immediately. Am I understood?"

Roy could hardly believe what he was hearing. Glancing at his team, he knew each one of them were just as angry.

"Am I understood?" Grand repeated.

Very reluctantly, the Colonel answered.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Colonel Mustang, I recommend you take the Fuhrer's advice and take a few days to rest before coming back to Central Command. We look forward to your return."

With that, the General left just as abruptly as he had entered. The tense silence in the office was almost deafening.

 _He can't be serious. He's so set on protecting the Fuhrer's image that he'll reassign my men if word of Bradley's mistake gets out. Is that all he's worried about?_

 _Is he even concerned about finding Ed?_

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. He looked to see Havoc standing just behind him. Only then did he realize he was trembling.

"Why don't we go on to the dorms?" Havoc suggested. "I'm sure the Lieutenant Colonel will be there soon."

Roy sighed.

"All right."

Hawkeye followed the two out the door, the others packing up for the day as well. No one said a word as they left Central Command.

No one in the military would understand why Ed wasn't here. No one would know of Fuhrer Bradley's careless mistake. None of the generals in Central except for General Raven was on their side.

They were alone.

 ***break***

Ed pressed his ear against the door to his cell. He was pretty sure he had it down. Every four hours, a new guard would be stationed in front of his cell. There was a brief moment where, if he could time it just right, he would be able to sneak out of the door before the next guard took his position.

 _I have to find Mustang._

For the first time since arriving in Drachma, hope surged through Ed as he heard the footsteps of his current guard retreating down the hall. Despite his body's protests, he snuck out of the cell. Hearing footsteps coming down the hall to his right, he quickly crept in the opposite direction, biting his lip as his ribs and back flared up in agony.

His blood ran cold when he heard the door to his cell creak open and the swears that followed. He had to pick up the pace, at least as fast as his body would allow. Glancing around at the doors around him, he assumed he must have been in the dormitories.

 _They wouldn't keep Mustang here, would they? I have to keep moving. I have to find him. I'll be safe with him._

"Edward, there's no need to hide from me. What are you afraid of?"

A shiver ran down Ed's spine as he heard Vincent's words. He ran down the rest of the hallway and ducked around the corner, stopping to finally catch his breath. Vincent would have some form of punishment for him escaping, but that didn't matter.

 _I have to find Mustang._

"If you give yourself up now, I won't harm the Colonel."

Ed's blood froze in his veins as he remained in his hiding spot.

 _I can't let anything happen to him…but giving myself up will ruin this chance to see him…._

In the midst of his thoughts, he failed to notice the large man coming up behind him.

He was surprised when a hand clapped over his mouth and an arm wrapped around him. Something cold and hard was digging into his stomach. He let out a muffled scream as electricity rushed through his body, causing him to convulse in the man's arms. Next thing he knew, the arms keeping him up were gone. The young alchemist groaned as he crashed to the ground, his entire body trembling.

"That wasn't very nice of you to escape, Edward," Corin chuckled. "You are aware that it's night and most of our soldiers are trying to sleep, correct? How inconsiderate of you."

Corin bent down to toss Ed over his shoulder. The man made his way through the massive base.

"I see you found him!"

Ed's eyes widened when he heard Vincent's voice. He wanted to get away. He wanted to find Mustang, but his body wouldn't cooperate. Corin dropped him quite carelessly at Vincent's feet. He tried to push himself up, but his arms had turned into jelly. He sighed and closed his eyes, accepting that he wasn't going anywhere.

"That will be all, Corin. I can handle him from here."

He could hear Corin's footsteps as the man walked away. Vincent turned him over on his back. He opened his eyes again when he felt something tickling his face, and he immediately regretted it. Vincent's face was hovering inches over his own, the Drachman's long black hair brushing against his cheek. He tried scooting away, but two firm hands on his shoulders pinned him down.

"Do you not like your new home, Edward? Is that why you were trying to escape? It's only been a few days since you've arrived. I'd say you've hardly given it a chance!"

Ed was silent. Vincent cocked his head to the side.

"That wouldn't make sense. I know you're defiant on principle, but you're smart. You don't even know the area. If you were to escape, you could easily die in this weather if we didn't find you. You're well aware of that…." A malicious grin suddenly formed on the man's face. "Maybe you weren't trying to escape the base at all. Were you trying to find the Colonel?"

The young alchemist tensed, but remained quiet.

"Your actions can't go unpunished," Vincent continued, "but I'll go easier on you if you answer me honestly. I'll ask again: were you trying to find the Colonel?"

Hesitantly, Ed nodded. The malicious grin spread even wider, looking almost demonic.

"That's absolutely adorable! I very much appreciate your honesty, Edward. I suppose I can spare you the pain this time. I suppose I could pay your commanding officer a visit and he could receive your punishment—"

"No!" Ed bellowed, interrupting the Drachman.

Vincent pressed a hand firmly against Ed's mouth, not wanting the kid to wake the other soldiers. His eyes gleamed upon seeing the kid's reaction.

"From what I've gathered during our time together, you're willing to go through anything as long as I don't touch Colonel Mustang. Is this an accurate conclusion?"

Again, Ed nodded. While he normally wouldn't respond, he couldn't risk this deranged man hurting Mustang.

A dark chuckle escaped Vincent's lips.

"How interesting," he muttered, just barely loud enough for Ed to hear. "I've watched the Colonel for quite some time now. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought you were his son with how protective he is of you. In this case, it seems as if the son is just as protective of his father as his father is of him. You're one fascinating kid, Edward Elric. Remember that answer."

With that, Vincent slipped his arms under Ed's back and legs.

The teen didn't have the energy to put up a fight as he was carried away. His captor didn't stop until they reached the room at the very end of the hall Ed had previously been running down. His eyes widened as the door swung open, realizing Vincent had taken him back to his bedroom. For the first time, he actually looked around the room.

The last time he was here, he was still under the influence of sedatives and the muscle relaxant Vincent had drugged him with. Dread pooled in his stomach when he got a look at the top of Vincent's dresser. A wide variety of knives were displayed along the top as well as other devices he'd never seen before.

Much to his surprise, Vincent set him down gently on the bed. Unfortunately, he could do nothing but watch as the Drachman sauntered over to the dresser and rubbed his chin.

"I think I'll start off with something simple."

Vincent quickly walked back over to his bed and settled himself against the headboard. Ed weakly squirmed as Vincent pulled him onto his lap, but his struggles stopped abruptly when the man held two objects up in front of his face: a knife and a lighter.

"Colonel Mustang has a fascination with fire," he said as a small flame flickered to life from the lighter. "He would have to in order to master flame alchemy. I guess you could say that's something we both have in common, but I'm pretty sure we satisfy our curiosity in very different manners."

The Drachman held the knife to the flame. Ed didn't have to be a genius to figure out what he was planning. His squirming resumed until his captor's lips were right next to his ear.

"You're willing to go through anything so no harm will come to the Colonel, remember? That's what you just told me. Stop resisting me, or I'll do this to him instead."

Ed froze instantly. It took everything he had not to shy away as Vincent lifted his shirt up to expose his stomach. He tried to keep the nausea at bay as he got a good look at the dark red markings that made up the carving. Vincent ripping off the bandages upon his arrival to Drachma did nothing to help the massive wound to begin healing.

The young alchemist's eyes widened when he saw the blade glow. He determined that knowing what was coming didn't make it any easier to mentally prepare for the hot blade making contact with his skin. He flung his head back against Vincent's shoulder and bit his lip to stifle a scream as his captor held the knife against his stomach. He could smell something burning.

It took him a minute to realize that it was his own flesh.

Blood filled his mouth when he bit his lip too hard. He barely registered Vincent taking the blade away until the man held up the knife to the lighter again. He didn't have to see his captor to know the man was enjoying this…maybe a little too much. The flame flickered in front of him, as if to taunt him.

 _There isn't anything I can do. I can't let him hurt Mustang._

Vincent pressed the knife directly against the carving, nearly eliciting a scream from the young alchemist. The Drachman noticed and chuckled.

"It's in your best interest to remain quiet. If anyone hears you, I'll invite them to join me in the fun. You should know that I'm actually quite kind compared to some of the other generals here."

Ed grit his teeth, willing himself to stay as silent as possible. He barely stifled the scream when his captor made a third burn. Much to his relief, Vincent stopped after that. He fell back against the headboard with a groan when Vincent moved out from behind him.

"I suppose that's enough for this evening. It's pretty late, after all."

Vincent walked back over to the dresser, smirking when he saw Ed slumped against the headboard and breathing heavily. Setting down the knife and lighter, he picked up a syringe. It probably wasn't necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry with an alchemist.

"Wh-what are you…."

Ed didn't get to finish before Vincent plunged the syringe into his neck. The Drachman relished in the panic present in his young captive's eyes.

"Despite you trying to escape, I'm allowing you to stay with me for the night. Consider it an honor."

Ed clenched his eyes shut as Vincent shifted him so he was laying down on the bed.

"No…." the kid gasped when his captor settled down next to him and pulled him close to his chest.

"That really hurts my feelings, Edward," Vincent said, not sounding hurt in the slightest. "You let the Colonel hold you like this. How am I any different?"

Even with the sedative flooding through his system, Ed tried to push Vincent away. The Drachman chuckled and held him even closer. Darkness crept into Ed's vision as his eyes began to droop shut. His limbs grew heavy, ending his futile struggles.

Just before consciousness completely faded away, he felt Vincent press his lips to the top of his head.

"Good night, Edward."

 **And there it is! Vincent is definitely a creep…but that's kind of expected at this point. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter! School is absolutely crazy, but I'm trying to write as often as I can. Hopefully, I'll be able to update "The Sun Still Rises" next week. That's the goal anyway. So, until then!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, everyone! I do apologize for this update being much later than intended. Thank you to everyone that's followed, favorited, and reviewed this fic! It encourages me so much! Now, onward!**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

 _Creak._

Havoc turned over, his eyes cracking open at the sound. He blinked a few times before bolting upright.

"Sir?"

If it wasn't for the moonlight streaming in through the window, he wouldn't have seen it.

The Colonel was sitting up in his bed, knees drawn to his chest and face buried in his arms. He didn't even acknowledge the Lieutenant.

"Sir?" he tried again. "Are you all right?"

Havoc winced when he realized what he just asked.

 _Of course he's not all right. He was only rescued a few days ago…._

"I'm fine."

It was slightly muffled by his arms, but Havoc could definitely get the message and he didn't buy it for a second.

"Colonel—"

"I'm fine," Roy repeated, this time lifting his head up. "Really, Lieutenant, I'm okay. It was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep."

Havoc sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Go back to sleep."

There was a new sharpness to the Colonel's tone that said they wouldn't be discussing the issue any more tonight. The Lieutenant laid back down and turned over to face away from his commanding officer. He didn't close his eyes. He slowed his breathing down.

He listened.

He wasn't sure how long much time had passed before his tired eyes drooped shut against his wishes. It had been a long week for all of Mustang's unit, after all. However, he never once heard the creak of the bed again. He never heard the Colonel get situated under the covers.

 _Is he even going to sleep?_

If the dark circles he saw under Roy's eyes the next morning were anything to go by, he'd say the answer to his question was definitely not.

 ***break***

Ed slowly opened his eyes. He shifted, realizing he was on a soft, comfortable mattress as opposed to the stone cold floor he'd anticipated waking up on. That's when he noticed the arms wrapped around him and the warm puffs of air on top of his head.

"Good to see you're finally awake."

Ed clenched his eyes shut at the voice, trembling as the arms pulled him closer to his tormentor. Vincent chuckled into the kid's hair and stroked the long, blond strands.

"Don't be like that, Edward. It's just me. After all the time we've spent together, I'd say we're friends, aren't we?"

"No!" Ed struggled to get out of Vincent's hold, but his movements were still sluggish. "No! Let go!"

He tried to ignore the way his limbs were weighed down by the effects of the sedative, but Vincent was still able to subdue him easily. The man sat up, bringing Ed with him. He cupped a hand behind Ed's head and pulled the kid to his chest.

 _Why the hell is he hugging me?_

"Edward, how many times do I have to remind you?" Ed tried to move, but the hand behind his head only pushed him harder into Vincent's chest. "You're in Drachma. There's no point in fighting me. As you learned last night, you can't escape."

Ed started to panic when he couldn't breathe, desperately trying to push himself away from his captor. Vincent's arms only strengthened around him and the man showed no signs of releasing him from the hug.

 _He's suffocating me._

He could feel Vincent sigh. He didn't have to see the Drachman's face to know the man was smiling at his useless struggles.

"Stop resisting. You're only wasting your energy. That's something you won't be able to afford during your time here."

Vincent finally let him go. Ed collapsed back onto the bed and gasped for air. He coughed as Vincent got up from the bed and sauntered over to his dresser. Closing his eyes, he tried to regulate his breathing. The bed dipped. Ed opened his eyes to find Vincent looming over him with a syringe in hand.

"Sorry, kid, I know you're probably sick of injections," he said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. He gripped Ed's hair in a tight fist and yanked his head to the side to expose more of his neck. "This won't last long, I promise."

Ed managed to swallow the yelp that threatened to escape when Vincent inserted the syringe. His vision started to blur. He blinked rapidly to clear it, but the dull colors of Vincent's room only melded together. He waited for the familiar darkness to return.

And he waited….

…but it never came.

Dread pooled in his stomach when he finally realized what Vincent injected him with.

 ***break***

" _Hey!" he screamed._

 _He wasn't answered. He clenched his teeth and pulled on the roped binding his wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of the chair. The scratchy rope dug into the skin on his left arm, causing blood to dampen the sleeve of the shirt he'd been given. It wouldn't budge, even with the automail. He let his head fall back and closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh._

" _Ed?"_

 _He snapped his head up._

" _C-Colonel?"_

 _His commanding officer was sitting in a chair just across from him and bound in a similar position. The man's shirt was in tatters, gashes with blood still streaming from the wounds flowing down his chest. Cuts and bruises littered Roy's face. He finally managed look Roy in the eyes._

 _Well, one eye. The other was almost swollen shut._

 _Roy smiled when he got his subordinate to meet his gaze, revealing his blood-stained teeth._

" _Ed," he breathed. "I didn't know if they were ever going to let me see you. I haven't exactly been giving them the information they need."_

 _He couldn't help but grin, pride welling in his chest for his superior._

 _He knew Vincent had been lying. The Colonel would never truly cooperate._

 _The grin faded when Roy coughed and spit out some blood on the ground next to him. Remnants of the red liquid dribbled down his chin._

" _What…what have they done to you?" he couldn't help but ask._

 _Roy shook his head._

" _Don't worry about me, kid."_

 _The man doubled over as more coughs racked his body, only furthering his concern. Once he was done and caught his breath, he met his eyes again._

" _Ed, I mean it, please don't worry about me. My team found the Drachman base in Kanon. They probably aren't far behind. They'll get us out of this soon. We just have to hold out until then."_

 _He nodded, his heart sinking at the thought of having to wait to be rescued. Although, given the Colonel's appearance and his own state, the possibility of escape was out of the question. Despite his rough condition, Roy managed to smile at him yet again._

" _You've been so brave, and I am so proud of you. Please, hold on just a little bit longer."_

 _He couldn't help but smile back at his commanding officer, hope surging through his heart with the man's encouraging words. Suddenly, two hands clamped down on his shoulders._

" _Isn't it nice of me to let you two see each other?" Ed shivered as Vincent's breath ghosted over his ear. "Neither one of you have been very cooperative. You both are lucky General Lebedev and I were in such a generous mood."_

" _Get your hands off him!" Roy growled, straining against the ropes binding him to the chair._

 _Vincent chuckled as he snaked his arms around Ed's chest, completely embracing him._

" _C-Colonel…it's fine…."_

 _He winced when he realized how shaky his voice was. The fire in Roy's eyes raged._

" _No it's not! Get the hell away from my subordinate!"_

 _Roy stopped struggling when a pair of hands grabbed his own shoulders and yanked him back on the chair. Ed's blood ran cold when he recognized the older man standing behind his commanding officer._

" _You're in absolutely no position to be making demands, Colonel Mustang," Vincent's superior leered. "Especially since we've determined you're no longer worth our time."_

 _He could see the realization dawn on the Colonel just as General Lebedev yanked his head back and skewered a knife through the back of his neck._

" _Mustang!" he screamed._

 _The blade glinted as it protruded from the front of Roy's throat. The man's mouth quivered as if trying to speak, but only wet, gurgling sounds answered him._

"Mustang!"

Ed blinked. Roy and General Lebedev disappeared. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the familiar array that surrounded him. He blinked again, finally feeling the tears running down his cheeks. He wiped them away before staring at his free hands. Looking behind him, he didn't see Vincent. He let out a shuddering breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"It wasn't real."

 _But it felt too real._

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing heart. His hand tightened in his bangs. He clenched his teeth when he still felt like his heart was pounding out of his chest.

"It wasn't…real…." he choked out before his voice cracked at the end.

He covered his mouth before a sob could escape him, a couple more tears streaming down his face.

 _Mustang's fine. He has to be. It was just a hallucination. He's fine._ He scooted back to lean against the wall, Roy's words echoing in his mind.

" _My team found the Drachman base in Kanon. They probably aren't far behind. They'll get us out of this soon. We just have to hold out until then."_

Even if it was just a hallucination, he had to remember that. There was a reason Vincent panicked and decided to bring them to Drachma. Help couldn't be too far away.

" _You've been so brave, and I am so proud of you. Please, hold on just a little bit longer."_

Ed rubbed his eyes, putting a stop to the tears that started to form again.

 _I'll try…but…it'd be easier if you were with me, Mustang._

He tensed when he heard the cell door open, two pairs of footsteps entering the room. Vincent and his superior lingered for a bit near the door. Based on the frown etched on Vincent's face, it wasn't difficult for Ed to tell that something was bothering the deranged man. General Lebedev wasn't fairing much better than his subordinate.

"Colonel Mustang is being exceptionally difficult," Vincent commented, breaking the tense silence that previously filled the cell. "I don't know what you were seeing, but it got a nice scream out of you. I genuinely thought hearing you scream like that would make the Colonel a bit more cooperative. I guess we'll have to do better."

Ed swallowed, his saliva nearly getting stuck in his dry throat.

" _Please, hold on just a little bit longer."_

He really hoped he could.

 ***break***

"Sir, why don't we call it a day?"

Riza's voice stirred Roy out of his thoughts. He looked up from the paperwork he was supposed to be doing. Glancing at the window, he now noticed the orange light streaming into his office.

He looked back down to the stack of papers. Accepting that he wasn't going to make any more progress—or any progress _at all_ for that matter—he pushed his chair away from his desk.

"All right."

He gathered his things and followed Riza and Jean out of the office. He felt his eyelids drooping, so he gulped down the rest of his coffee as they walked out of Central Command. The trio was silent on the way back to the dorms, just as they had been on the way to work.

Even though both Lieutenants tried to keep their eyes ahead, he could feel their gazes wander to him throughout their travels to and from Central Command. Hell, he could practically feel the concern from his unit the entire day. They didn't need to voice their opinion for him to know they didn't approve of him returning to work so soon. He couldn't help but remember the tension between him and Havoc that morning when the Second Lieutenant saw him putting on his uniform.

A part of him thought they might have been right. Returning to work so soon after being rescued probably wasn't the best idea, but remaining in the dorms wasn't an option.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep the sleepiness at bay as they arrived to the dormitories. After Riza bid the two men goodnight, they walked down the hall toward their own room. Roy unlocked the door and entered, Havoc coming in just behind him.

The Colonel expected to hear his subordinate's footsteps following him further into their dorm, but turned back when he realized Havoc was still standing by the door. The Second Lieutenant's shoulders were slightly hunched and his hands were shoved into his pockets. He kept his gaze on the ground, unable to look at his commanding officer.

"Colonel," he said, finally breaking the silence between them. "You know you can talk to us, right?"

Roy crossed his arms, his mouth setting in a grim line.

"Of course, I know—"

"No, do you _know_ that you can talk to us? About anything?" Havoc sighed when he saw the Colonel's eyebrows furrow. "You don't have to put up a front for us, sir. We…we saw a glimpse of how devastated you were in the hospital in South City. You may be our leader, but you don't have to be strong for us. You don't have to return to work just yet. You don't have to keep anything from us. Whatever you're feeling…we won't judge you. We can't imagine what you're going through right now. We want to help you, but we can't if you won't talk to us."

The phone ringing caused both men to nearly jump out of their skin. Grateful for the opportunity to avoid this conversation, Roy picked up the phone instantly.

"Colonel Mustang."

"Roy," Maes responded from the other end, "Investigations just got a call from Central Prison. Three Drachmans have turned themselves in. I'm not sure when their interrogations will begin, but—"

"We're on our way."

The Colonel hung up the phone and motioned for his subordinate to follow him out of the dorm.

"We need to get to Central Prison."

Havoc nodded, but Roy could tell he wasn't finished with their discussion.

 **Well, there it is! I do apologize for a shorter chapter, but this just felt like the best place to end it. I also apologize if Ed seemed a bit out of character…the poor kid has just suffered too much at this point. Thank goodness it's nowhere near over and will only get worse.**

 **Anyways…hope you all enjoyed it! The next update will hopefully come sooner rather than later. Then we'll find out what's actually got Vincent so angry. Until then!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Behold, I'm back with another chapter! I don't think I can thank you all enough for the response this entire series has gotten. It encourages me so much and only makes me want to write more! Long story short, y'all are awesome! Now, on with the story!**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Just a few OCs that I might enjoy writing just a little too much.**

Roy forced himself to remain calm as he, Hughes, and his subordinates were led into Central Prison. He'd been on edge since he'd gotten the phone call from his best friend just an hour before. Despite Havoc's protests, he demanded to see the three captured Drachmans. It took everything he had not to get his hopes up.

 _There has to be a chance…if the three turned themselves in, it's probably not Vincent. That doesn't mean it's not someone we saw in Kanon, though._

He kept pace with his subordinates, resisting the urge to run ahead through the corridors of the prison.

 _Whoever we caught has to know something. They might not be cooperative at first, but we can get them to talk. We might have our first lead to finding Ed._

"General Raven came down here the second he got the news," one of the guards explained, bringing him out of his thoughts. "He wanted to wait for you before starting the interrogations."

Roy inwardly smiled, reassured that Raven was truly on his side even on what another general might see as a trivial matter. He felt as though a weight was lifted off his chest when he spotted the man as they rounded the next corner. Raven greeted him with a grim smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Colonel Mustang," the General said as he guided the group toward the cells. "We've separated the three Drachmans for the time being. I'm sure you've already heard that they turned themselves in to the prison. They put up no resistance when the guards searched them and they've been quite cooperative so far."

The more General Raven spoke, the more he had to push down the dread pooling in his stomach. The group continued walking toward the cell at the end of the hall.

 _There's no way it's any of Vincent's subordinates. Unless they're under Vincent's orders…._

"Colonel Mustang?"

Roy froze when he first heard the voice. Before any of his subordinates could react, he raced toward the bars of the cell. His eyes grew wide, as if they didn't believe who they were seeing.

"Luka?"

A small grin broke across the young medic's face. As best his could with his hands cuffed in front of him, he stood and approached Roy.

"I'm so glad to see you're okay!" His eyes gleamed when he recognized Hawkeye, Hughes, and Havoc as they joined the Colonel. His face slightly fell when he saw General Raven, who'd now gravitated toward the back of their group. "How's Edward recovering? I should've known he wouldn't return to work so soon…."

He trailed off when he saw Roy tense. He looked to Riza who shared a glance with Hughes, but they didn't say a single word.

"You…you don't know?" Roy asked.

Luka's brow furrowed and his stance shifted slightly.

"Wh-what happened after—"

"Can I please have a moment with Colonel Mustang?" General Raven interrupted as he pushed his way toward Roy.

He wasn't asking for permission. Putting his hands on Roy's shoulders, he steered the Colonel away from the cell. Riza and Maes were right on their heels. The General led them toward the west side of the prison. Knowing the interrogations would be taking place across the building, Roy couldn't stop the confusion from clouding his mind. It wasn't until Raven stopped and glanced around to make sure they were alone that he finally understood.

"I know it may be difficult for you to talk about," the General began, "but you obviously know him. He knew you were rescued and he thinks Major Elric was as well. I need to know everything about him before we start these interrogations."

Roy took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"As you're aware from my report, the Drachmans went to some…extreme measures to try to gain my cooperation. Luka was their medic. He was ordered to tend to Ed's injuries during our time in Kanon when our captors allowed it. From what I understand, he was coerced into working for the Drachman military. He told me that he didn't agree with their decision to go to war with Amestris, but his sisters would be sent to the frontlines if he didn't continue his research and services for them. Last I saw him, Vincent wasn't too happy with him. He visited us against his superior's orders to take care of Ed."

Raven's stern expression slightly softened.

"The two others we have in custody are women. I'm assuming those are probably his sisters. Do you have any idea why they would turn themselves in?"

The Colonel shook his head. He wasn't surprised in the slightest that Luka managed to reunite with his sisters and leave the Drachman military. He wouldn't have been surprised if they escaped to Xing or Creta.

He _never_ expected them to come back to Amestris.

He could see Maes scratch the back of his head out of the corner of his eye. His friend didn't want to speak up, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice.

"Luka's actually the one that led us to the base in Kanon." The man paused when he noticed Raven's eyes practically bulging out of his skull. Maes shifted his gaze down to ground, unable to look at the General. "Lieutenants Hawkeye, Havoc, and I were heading back to the inn when he found us. As Roy said, he didn't want to go to war with us, and it seemed that torturing Ed was the breaking point for him. He marked one of the passageways in the mine and told us when the guards would rotate so we'd have the best chance of getting into the base. I told him if he wanted to help our military, he should have turned himself in right then, but he ran off."

Roy couldn't take his gaze off his friend and could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind.

"He must have helped you all save me," he muttered. "Vincent was interrogating me, but was interrupted by an explosion and left to investigate. When he returned, he told me you all had invaded the base before drugging me. Do you think Luka caused that explosion?"

Maes and Riza nodded, unable to think of any other explanation. General Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't think I need to tell you both how risky it was to listen to him, but we can't dwell on that now. However, that piece of information stays between us, and I can't stress that enough. Colonel Mustang can testify that Luka acted out against his superior's orders. I don't know what any of the other generals or the Fuhrer himself will see fit for the three, but Luka's actions should be taken into consideration before any decisions are made."

Roy let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. The General reacted better than he could have anticipated to this newfound information. Raven started to walk away from the three officers.

"Generals Grand and Edison should be arriving momentarily. I'll keep them away from our prisoners until the interrogations begin. If you're up for it, Colonel, I would like you to assist us. Luka would probably feel more comfortable and be a bit more cooperative if you're present." He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Roy. "Although, I do understand if you can't. Take some time to think it over. I'll stall the interrogation until I hear from you."

Before Roy even had a chance to respond, General Raven was out of sight. He stared off in the direction the man had gone. Nothing could stop the gratitude from welling in his chest for the General.

However, it didn't take long for his thoughts to wander back to Luka.

 _Not only did he act against Vincent's orders to help Ed, he betrayed Drachma. He and his sisters can't go back home. He risked his own life and theirs to help_ _our military infiltrate their base…._

… _and he'll soon find out Ed wasn't rescued if he hasn't already…._

He turned to his friend and subordinate. Despite Raven's suggestion, he didn't need any time to make his decision.

"I'm assisting with Luka's interrogation, as well as his sisters'." The disapproval in Maes' eyes couldn't go unnoticed, but it did nothing to sway his thoughts on the matter. "We're going to do everything we can to ensure their safety. Luka risked everything when he tried to save Ed and I. This is the very least we can do for him."

The two simply nodded and followed the Colonel back to Luka's cell.

 ***break***

" _With all due respect, sir, what the hell do you mean there are technical difficulties with the transmitter? Last you updated me, it worked perfectly."_

" _I can assure you that our engineers won't stop working until they find a solution, Vincent. You brought us the Fullmetal Alchemist. That was our most difficult task. I know I said I'd rather have the kid willingly cooperate. I need you to up your efforts in the event we can't get the transmitters fixed." His superior didn't bother hiding a smirk. "Although, I have a feeling that won't be problem for you…."_

The corners of Vincent's lips pulled up even higher as he inserted the blade further into the laceration at the top of his prisoner's back, relishing the scream it elicited from kid beneath him. Slowly, he dragged the knife from Ed's left shoulder down to just beneath his right shoulder blade. He sat back on Ed's legs, admiring his work.

"I'll have to let Mustang know he did a great job on your back the next time I visit him," he mused. "I didn't take the time to truly appreciate it when Corin ripped the bandages off or when I cleaned your wounds. I have to say, your commanding officer really did a number on you, Edward."

Ed instinctively raised up to look back at the Drachman, but Corin's hand fisted in his hair kept him down on the ground.

"Go to…hell…." he gritted out, but his voice was so weak it was barely audible.

Vincent dug his fingers into one of the freshly bleeding lacerations. Ed cried out and his vision flashed white.

"Once you and the Colonel are more cooperative, this will end. Continuing to be so stubborn will only bring you more agony. How long this lasts will be up to you and your superior, Edward."

He finally removed his hand from Ed's wound. He could feel the kid trembling beneath him.

"He…won't."

Vincent's eyebrows rose, not expecting to get a response from his captive. He nodded to Corin, a silent order to let go of the kid's hair. Ed turned his head, having to bite his lip to prevent another pained groan from escaping him.

"He won't…cooperate…and…I won't either."

The Drachman got up, just long enough to harshly flip the kid over on his back. He perched himself on Ed's stomach and planted his hands on Ed's bare shoulders, watching as his captive clenched his eyes shut and opened his mouth in a silent scream as he was forced to lay on his mutilated back. Instinctively, Ed gripped the man's wrists and tried to push him off.

"Have you already forgotten?" Vincent asked as he held Ed down with ease. "Colonel Mustang has given in before. This rebellious phase won't last much longer. I'll make sure of that. You'll be following suit soon enough."

Almost reluctantly, he got off the kid. He glanced at the tattered remains of Ed's shirt as he walked toward the door, remembering Corin having to restrain Ed while he cut it off. When he reached the door, he turned to face his subordinate.

"Edward will be your responsibility for the next couple of days, Corin. Someone will relieve you tonight for you to get some rest. I'll have them bring a new shirt and water for him." He opened the cell door, but stopped just as he crossed the threshold, a sharkish grin spreading across his face. "Make sure he doesn't sleep. I'll let you decide how you carry that out."

He just got a glimpse of Ed's wide eyes as the cell door slammed shut.

 _He can't hide the fear anymore. It's a small step, but we're finally making some progress._

 ***break***

Roy watched Luka through the lone window in the room. His cuffed hands were resting on the table in front of him. He stared at the three empty chairs across from him. The Colonel could feel the nervousness radiating from the young medic.

"Does he know?" he asked.

"No, sir," Falman responded. "We didn't tell him. We weren't sure if General Raven would permit us to share that information."

Roy nodded. His team was silent as they waited for the generals to arrive for the interrogation, until Maes cleared his throat.

"Roy," he said, making no effort to hide the concern in his tone. "If you're so insistent on conducting the interrogation, you should probably go talk to him first."

Again, the Colonel simply nodded. He took a deep breath and entered the room. Luka instantly perked up at his presence.

"Colonel Mustang," the medic greeted him with a small smile.

A palpable sense of relief flooded the room. Roy sincerely wished he could smile back. He made his way to the table and sat across from the Drachman.

"A couple of our generals will be arriving soon to start the interrogations."

Luka's smile faltered slightly.

"I figured as much," he muttered, glancing down at his hands. He sighed and shifted his gaze back to the Colonel. "How's Edward doing? After you left, your men didn't say a word until they were ordered to bring me here."

Roy's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. He knew the question was coming, but no amount of mental preparation could have helped him answer it.

"He…h-he wasn't rescued. I'm afraid Vincent managed to sneak him out during the invasion. My team searched every inch of that base, but he was gone."

Luka stared at him, as if waiting to hear that this was some sort of sick joke. His eyes widened when the Colonel remained silent, clearly meaning everything he'd just said.

"No…." Luka shook his head, his gaze now boring into the table and skin paling considerably. "They couldn't have…how…."

He slumped back in his chair, the disbelief only becoming more apparent on Luka's face. Roy's heart sank as he watched the reality of their situation hit the young medic before him.

"He's alone…with Vincent…."

Roy shuddered, not wanting to be reminded that his subordinate was facing the most deranged human he'd ever met by himself. He didn't even want to think about what Ed could possibly be going through.

"I'm so sorry, Colonel."

Before Roy could point out that he had nothing to apologize for, having risked his own life in the attempt to save them, the door burst open. Generals Grand and Edison entered the room. Raven hovered by the door. The Colonel glanced at Luka.

The young man swallowed, his nervousness returning tenfold; however, he sat up straight in his chair and looked ready to answer any question they asked him. Roy couldn't stop his admiration for Luka from growing.

 _You're so brave, Luka. I wish Ed was here, and I know you do too. You might think that you failed, but you didn't. You shouldn't apologize. You stood up for what you believed was right…something I was too much of a coward to do._

 _I'm going to make sure you and your sisters are taken care of. That's a promise._

 **Well, there it is! I am so heckin' excited that Luka's back! I missed writing Vincent, but I missed Luka even more. School will be a little crazy over the next month, but I will write whenever I find the time! Until then!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Huzzah! I've returned with another chapter! Thank you so much for continuing to be patient with me and following this story! Y'all's support means the world to me! This chapter will be Roy-centric and will focus how he's truly handling the situation at hand, so I hope you guys enjoy that. Anyways, on with the story!**

 **Warnings: Some mature themes will be implied and mentioned, but there will be absolutely no detail as per usual.**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

 ***two weeks later***

" _Alphonse, you know if there's anything you need you can tell me, right?"_

" _Actually, sir, if you're not too busy tomorrow…."_

Roy checked his pocket watch as he entered his office. Exactly eight o'clock on the morning. He yawned as he sat down at his desk. He could scarcely believe it had been two weeks since he and his team returned to Central. After assisting with Luka's interrogation, General Raven once again suggested he take some time off. His team highly encouraged him to do so, but he still refused.

 _Taking time off work won't help me find Ed._

Although, aside from gaining some insight from Luka and his sisters to possible locations Vincent could have taken Ed, the military wasn't making much progress in its efforts to find the captured alchemist. Bradley had already sent some officers up north to Drachma, but they haven't reported any useful information yet.

He rubbed his eyes in a vain attempt to wake himself up, having gone another night with absolutely no sleep.

"Unless you enjoy staring down the barrel of a gun, you might want to wake up," Havoc teased as he meandered over to his own desk and sat down. "You wouldn't want Hawkeye to find you asleep on the job, would you?"

"Thanks for the advice, Lieutenant," he deadpanned.

He opened one of the many files on his desk and stared at the papers within. Suddenly, he heard Havoc rise up from his desk.

"I'm going to get coffee. Do you want any, Boss?"

"No thanks," he mumbled.

While he didn't look at the Lieutenant, he could feel the man's concerned gaze on him. A second went by before he heard footsteps heading toward the door.

" _You can talk to me about anything, Boss. You can talk to any of us. You don't have to suffer through this alone."_

He sighed, recalling Havoc's words from a few days ago. He'd lost count of the number of times Maes had pulled him aside the past two weeks to tell him the exact same thing. At least Havoc hadn't pestered him about it since. Actually, now that he thought about it, no one on his team had.

For the first time since he returned, he had the closest thing to normalcy he could have.

"I see you and Havoc are early today, sir," Hawkeye observed as she entered the office, bringing the Colonel out of his thoughts. She walked over to her superior with a steaming mug in her hands. "I made tea and figured you might want some. You've been drinking too much coffee lately."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," he said, not even taking his eyes off his paperwork even though he made no move to actually do any of it.

He yawned yet again before grabbing the warm mug.

 _I have to stay awake. My men need to think I'm okay. If I don't sleep then I won't see…._

His eyebrows rose as he took a sip of tea. It was much sweeter than he'd anticipated considering his First Lieutenant made it.

"What kind of tea is this, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"It's wild sweet orange tea, sir," she said before she left the office.

The name alone made sense. Roy finally got himself to start his paperwork and he drank more of the tea.

 _Why does this taste so familiar?_

He couldn't quite put his finger on it. A few minutes later, Riza returned with more paperwork, but she wasn't alone.

"Hey, Roy! How's it going?" a jovial voice rang through the previously quiet office.

He looked up to see Maes sauntering up to his desk and he nearly groaned. He really wasn't in the mood to be bombarded with photos, so he turned his attention back to his paperwork.

"Fine," he replied curtly.

"I called Alphonse last night to see how he was doing. He's coming to visit today, isn't he?"

The Colonel felt his mood lift instantly at the mention of the younger Elric.

"He's supposed to be here sometime after lunch."

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited about Al visiting. He just wished he could give the kid a more promising report concerning his brother.

Much to his surprise, Maes remained silent. He didn't gush about his daughter. He didn't shove any photos in his face. Roy risked a glance up at his friend. The Lieutenant Colonel looked to Riza, who simply nodded at him in return. Neither military officer seemed aware that he'd just witnessed the little exchange.

He quickly shifted his gaze back down and continued filling out the never-ending pile of papers. His eyelids started to droop shut. He gave his head a quick shake and finished the last of the tea. He paused before he set the mug back on the desk.

"You know what that tea reminds me of, Lieutenant? The medicine I used to take when I got sick as a kid to help me sleep. It was just as sweet…."

His voice trailed off and his eyes widened when he realized what Riza had done. He stared in disbelief at his First Lieutenant.

"You drugged me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Colonel—"

The mug fell on the desk with a clang as Roy shot up from his chair and bolted for the door.

 _I have to get out of here. I have to throw this up. I can't go to sleep. I can't go back to that nightmare._

Unfortunately, his friend had anticipated him making a break for it. Maes caught Roy before he made it to the door, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. The Colonel twisted and turned to free himself. It took more effort than it normally would due to the sleep deprivation and drug coursing through him, but he succeeded and made it to the door.

"Havoc! Breda!" Hughes called.

Just as he exited the office, the two Second Lieutenants grabbed his arms. He thrashed against their hold, but his movements were starting to grow sluggish.

That certainly didn't stop him from trying, though.

Maes and Riza appeared in an instant to assist their comrades. The Lieutenant Colonel grabbed his waist while Riza managed to grab his legs. Between the four of them, they were able to carry the still struggling Colonel back into his office. However, it wasn't without difficulty. Each one of them was strong, but their leader was desperate. If the drug hadn't already started taking effect, he probably could have escaped them.

"Let go of me!" Roy demanded.

His eyes were starting to droop shut again. He fought to keep them open, but that was a battle he was quickly losing.

 _I have to get free. I have to stay awake. I can't go to sleep._

Roy's struggles soon became nonexistent and he sagged in the arms of his friend and subordinates.

"I'm sorry, Roy," Maes said, voice strained as he and the others carried him toward one of the couches.

They gently set him down and stood by, although it wasn't necessary. There wasn't any chance of him escaping. The drug was in full effect. Roy still tried to fight it, but it was no use. He made sure his anger and confusion couldn't go unnoticed as his eyes slowly closed. Right before he was fully pulled into unconsciousness, he felt someone lift his head to slip a pillow underneath it while someone else settled a blanket on top of him.

 _They don't know what they're doing. They don't have the slightest idea of what they're putting me through._

 ***break***

 _Ed gasped as his head was yanked up out of the water. He couldn't help but notice the fear in the kid's eyes when he wasn't forced back down. He flashed Ed a smirk before facing Vincent._

" _If you've really been watching Fullmetal, you'll know that he's a real spitfire when he's angry. He threatened to kill me if I even considered giving in to you. I guess what I'm getting at is you should know that I'm definitely more scared of him than I am of you, so you can just forget the idea of me cooperating."_

 _His smirk grew when he heard Ed's laugh ring throughout their prison. Vincent's ever-present smile faded into a thin line._

" _Would you two mind leaving us?"_

 _The two other Drachmans let Ed go and left. His brow furrowed when Vincent walked over to his collapsed subordinate. The poor kid didn't even have the energy to fight back as Vincent grabbed him by his hair and force his head back underwater._

 _One minute passed…then two._

 _Vincent should have pulled him out by now._

" _What the hell are you doing?"_

 _He couldn't do anything but hang in his restraints as Ed's body went limp. Vincent finally pulled him out of the water and threw his body to the ground._

 _Ed didn't move._

" _Fullmetal?"_

 _Ed wasn't coughing. His chest wasn't rising and falling._

 _He wasn't breathing._

" _Edward…."_

 ***break***

Riza glanced at her commanding officer. He hadn't stirred since falling asleep. She crossed her arms and paced to the other side of the office, having given up on getting any paperwork done hours ago.

"Do you think this was a mistake?"

She couldn't stop the question from escaping her. Maes shifted in his seat on the couch across from the Colonel.

"Roy hasn't slept properly in weeks. He was already struggling to function and couldn't have kept this up much longer. It was only a matter of time before he collapsed."

Riza nodded, but remained silent. She didn't miss the way he never actually answered her question. She looked back at the Colonel, inwardly hoping they hadn't made a huge mistake.

 ***break***

 _Vincent moved behind Ed, wrapping his arms around his waist. He could feel the fire burning in his eyes at the sight of the predatory smile spreading across their captor's face._

" _Exactly how far are you going to let me go, Colonel?"_

 _He nearly let out an audible growl when Vincent pressed his lips to the back of Ed's neck. He could see his subordinate shudder._

 _Vincent couldn't possibly mean…._

" _Get. Away. From. Him. Now."_

 _His teeth were clenched so hard he's surprised they didn't shatter. Vincent only smirked and nuzzled Ed's neck and let a hand trail down his side. Ed's eyes were shut, as if he was trying to block out everything Vincent was doing to him._

" _It's fine, Colonel."_

 _His heart broke just like Ed's voice did._

" _Stop!" he demanded, his desperation laced in his tone._

" _Relax, Mustang. It's not like it's the first time I've done this to him."_

"I think he's waking up."

Roy wasn't sure who said it, but he thought he heard someone respond. He heard the sound of a door shutting. It took more effort than he was willing to admit, but he managed to open his eyes. Slowly, he sat up and tossed the blanket off him.

"Roy."

He looked up to see Maes sitting across from him. He was practically shaking.

 _How dare he?_

By the way Maes stiffened, he knew his friend could tell he was furious. He looked toward the window to see the dark orange glow of the setting sun streaming through the curtains. He checked his watch.

 _It's just past seven o'clock. They made me sleep for eleven hours…._

He ran a hand through his hair and finally looked his friend in the eye.

"Was drugging me really necessary, Maes?" he asked in an eerily calm voice.

"Roy, you haven't been sleeping." The Lieutenant Colonel put a hand up when he saw that Roy was about to interrupt. "Don't you dare say anything about Havoc seeing you sleep, because he hasn't. He's seen you faking it. He's known you long enough to know the difference. You need to take care of yourself and you're not. Drugging you seemed like the only option to actually make you sleep."

The Colonel bowed his head, unable to hold Maes' gaze or deny his words; however, his hands soon clenched into fists. The fury toward his friend and team was still raging through him.

"Keeping yourself awake and letting your health deteriorate isn't going to do anything to help Ed, Roy," Maes continued. "We've tried to get you to see a therapist. Hell, _Grumman_ recommended that you do. If you weren't comfortable with that, you're well aware that you could go to anyone on your team or myself if you needed to talk. I know you feel awful about what happened to Ed, but bottling up those feelings is going to do nothing but tear you apart."

Roy snapped his head back toward the man.

"You think that's why I don't sleep? Just because I feel guilty? I do feel guilty, and nothing anyone says will change that. I will never forgive myself for not saving my subordinate like I promised him I would, but that's not why I can't sleep."

"Then why?" Maes asked, crossing his arms and sitting back against the couch. "I'm sure all of us will understand. There isn't anything you can't tell us."

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Maes certainly didn't miss the way the Colonel's eyes flashed dangerously and he tensed when the man took a deep breath.

"You really want to know what happened, Maes? Fine." Roy began, his voice louder than before. "Over the course of those five days, I watched Ed get his chest slashed, every one of his fingers broken, and four of his ribs broken. I didn't just get to watch it. Vincent made me participate in some of it. He had me whip the kid and rip off every one of his fingernails. I didn't have much of a choice because Vincent threatened to make him suffer through worse if I didn't do it myself. Do you have any idea of what it's like to torture your own subordinate?"

Maes could only stare at his friend with wide eyes. His heart plummeted when he realized his friend wasn't finished. Roy continued, practically yelling at this point.

"Vincent killed Ed. Actually killed him. He forced Ed's head down into a tub of water and didn't pull him out until he'd drowned. Then he resuscitated him. Do you know why? Just to prove that he could kill Ed at any time and to hold it over my head that he was the reason Ed was still alive. Not long after that, we were separated for two days. I was drugged for all that time, but Ed was awake for every second of it. Vincent gave him a hallucinogen. I'm not sure what all he saw, but I know he thought _I_ was the one torturing him. Vincent carved into Ed's stomach that he was the property of Drachma and did other things I don't even know about because Ed refused to tell me." He stood so he was towering over his friend. "It gets worse, Maes. Vincent raped Edward…on multiple occasions. After Ed had his lips crudely sewn shut, Vincent threatened that if Ed fought back when he did it that he would assault me instead. You know what happened? Ed actually let him. Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to know that one of the boys I consider as a son let himself be sexually assaulted so that I wasn't? You said everyone would understand how I was feeling, but you can't possibly understand that!

"It's already bad enough that I lived through it, but I didn't want to tell anyone so they wouldn't have to imagine Ed going through all of that. Every time I go to sleep, he's there. He's having his fingers broken. He's getting whipped. He's drowning. I can't do anything to stop it. That's why I don't sleep. I want to be at my best so I can help Ed when the time comes, but I can't go back into that hell, and that hell is what you all trapped me in for the past eleven hours."

Maes was completely pale and his mouth hung open.

"I…Roy, I'm—"

The Colonel didn't let him finish before he stormed out of his office. He froze the second he opened the door. All of his team was still there…and they'd heard _everything._ Fuery was vomiting into a nearby trashcan, and Havoc and Breda looked like they weren't fairing much better. He couldn't blame them at all, knowing that each of them saw Ed like a younger brother and didn't even want to imagine the horrors they'd just discovered actually happening to the kid. Even normally stoic Falman had the blood completely drained from his face, turning his skin a sickly gray color.

He could have sworn his heart stopped beating when he met the glowing red eyes of Alphonse Elric.

Riza was standing next to the boy, a hand on his arm to comfort him despite the fact he couldn't feel it; however, the First Lieutenant was having her own problem of maintaining her usual composure.

 _Alphonse…he heard everything…he knows what happened to his brother…what I did to his brother…._

Unable to face Al, or anyone on his team for that matter, he ran. He didn't hear any of his subordinates calling out to him. He just ran and didn't stop until he reached the gates of Central Command.

 _I have to leave. I have to find Ed. I can't fail him again. I can't fail Alphonse again. I have to get to Drachma. I need to find him._

He took a deep, shuddering breath. He grasped the iron bars of the gate, clutching to them as if they were a lifeline. Tears welled in his eyes, and willed himself not to let them fall.

 _...but I can't. Not like this._

A firm hand gripped his shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked behind him, a couple tears escaping much to his dismay.

"Al," he breathed. "I'm…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear all of that. You shouldn't have had to find out what happened to Ed like you did. I let my anger get the best of me and I shouldn't have."

He hung his head, completely ashamed of himself. The grip on his shoulder tightened and pulled him away from the gate. He was soon facing Al's chest plate and another arm wrapped around him. It took him a moment to register that Al was hugging him.

"Colonel, there's no need to apologize. After hearing everything you and my brother went through, I understand why you snapped. I don't blame you for anything, even if you think I should for what you were forced to do to him. You didn't have a choice. You didn't want him to suffer through more than he had to, and for that I have to thank you. I can't imagine how hard of a decision that was to make."

The metal arms pulled him even closer, and Roy returned the embrace the best that he could. The two stood in silence, both needing each other's presence; however, the longer it continued, the more tense the Colonel got.

"How are you doing, Al?" he finally asked after gathering up the courage to break the silence between them.

He took a step back to look up at the younger Elric. Al's helmet turned to the side.

"Honestly…not well. Brother must have been in so much pain and had to be so scared. I can't even begin to think about what's happening to him now."

It was barely noticeable, but the hollow voice cracked at the end. Al was trying so hard to be strong like his older brother, but this was obviously difficult for him.

Roy could definitely understand that.

He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when Al handed him a small bottle.

"I…I need to go, but Lieutenant Hawkeye asked me to give you these. She said they help her sleep and she doesn't usually have any dreams. I volunteered to give them to you after what happened today." His armor creaked as his stance shifted awkwardly. "I know you're probably still angry. I don't have any right to tell you not to be, but I can tell you your team had good intentions. I remember how exhausted you sounded when we spoke last night. We were all worried about you, Colonel, but we didn't know your nightmares were that bad. I really hope those pills help you."

Roy stared at the bottle in his hand. He barely heard the clanking footsteps heading toward the gate. The grating of the metal against the ground caused him to look up and see the younger Elric leaving Central Command.

"Alphonse!" The suit of armor turned around. Roy inhaled deeply before speaking again. "Th-thank you. I know you wanted to visit today, and I know you probably didn't get what you needed out of it. If you need to spend some time alone, I understand. I just want you to know you can talk to me about whatever you need. You can visit me whenever you need. My door will always be open for you, Al."

Al nodded and exited the gate. His voice was quiet, but Roy definitely didn't miss it.

"I appreciate that, sir. You might find me taking you up on your offer sooner than you think."

 **Well, there it is! I hope you all enjoyed the last bit with some Roy and Al bonding! I definitely enjoyed writing that scene in particular.**

 **Anyways, I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner. The worst of the semester is over though, so updates and new fics should be coming out at a quicker rate! Until then!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! I have returned with another chapter for this delightful fic! I don't think I'll ever be able to say it enough, but thank you all for your continued support and response to this story and its predecessor/sequel. It means the world to me to know that you all are still enjoying it. Anyways, on with the story!**

 **Warnings: Some mature themes will be implied. It won't be briefly mentioned like last chapter, but the implication will be there.**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

To say that the journey back to the dormitories was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Lieutenant Havoc forced himself to keep moving, wondering if the tension between the three officers could make him collapse. He risked a glance at Riza, instantly noting that her lips were quirked in a tight line. Neither Lieutenant dared to speak to their commanding officer. They wouldn't until Roy was ready to talk to them; however, given the circumstances, that could be awhile.

Riza stopped and faced her two comrades, but wound up turning around without bothering to say goodnight. They parted ways to return to their respective dorms. The two men continued on to their room in silence, the Colonel just a step ahead of his subordinate. Jean grabbed the key and was unlocking the door before Roy even had a chance to start rummaging through his own pockets. Wordlessly, he opened the door for his superior and received a curt nod in return. His eyebrows slightly raised.

 _That's the most response anyone's gotten out of him since he returned to the office._

Despite the forced sleep he'd gotten earlier, his commanding officer still looked exhausted. He watched as Roy took off his shoes and jacket before sitting down on his bed. The man still refused to make eye contact with his subordinate.

"I'm going to bed."

Jean watched as the Colonel crawled under the covers and turned his back to him.

"Good night," he mumbled.

He gathered his things and made his way to the community showers. He was surprised to find that he was actually alone. Not that he'd complain about that, though. He quickly turned on the water and let the steam start to fill the shower stall. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the hot water cascaded down his body.

" _Over the course of those five days, I watched Ed get his chest slashed, every one of his fingers broken, and four of his ribs broken."_

He leaned his forehead against the shower wall.

" _He had me whip the kid and rip off every one of his fingernails."_

His hands clenched into fists.

" _Vincent killed Ed…didn't pull him out until he drowned…it gets worse, Maes…I didn't want to tell anyone…."_

"Dammit!" he growled, pounding a fist against the wall.

He shut off the water and ran a hand down his face, ignoring the way his tears mixed with the water droplets. He dried himself off and redressed. Slowly, he made his way back to the dorm. Cracking the door open, he saw that it was dark, just as he'd left it. He opened the door wider, the light from the hallway illuminating the room. Roy was still curled on his side, facing the wall. His superior's back and shoulders moved ever so slightly with each slow, exaggerated breath.

He sighed and shook his head.

"I know you're awake, Colonel."

Roy tensed. Jean let the door close and sat down on his own bed, resting his elbows on his knees. The bed creaked as Roy turned to look over his shoulder.

"I have nothing to say, Lieutenant. I suggest you go to sleep. We've got a lot of work to catch up on tomorrow, after all."

Guilt slashed through Jean's heart like a knife. He buried his face in his hands.

 _We put him back in that hell._

Before he even knew what he was doing, he spoke up.

"Sir, permission to speak to you as your friend."

The bed creaked again. Jean finally looked to see his commanding officer completely sitting up, confusion practically palpable in the man's gaze. Despite his apprehension, Roy nodded. Jean swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly desert dry.

"I…I'm sorry." That was certainly an understatement, but he took a deep breath and kept going. "We shouldn't have…I knew you weren't sleeping. I should've discussed it with you. Hell, I didn't even ask how you were doing…."

He trailed off when his eyes started watering.

" _I didn't just get to watch it. Vincent made me participate in some of it."_

He rubbed a hand down his face.

 _Ed shouldn't have had to suffer through that, and the Drachmans made sure Roy couldn't do anything about it. They even made him…._

" _Do you have any idea of what it's like to torture your own subordinate?"_

"Drugging you shouldn't have been our solution. We should've known you had your reasons for not sleeping, but we assumed you felt guilty about being rescued and couldn't be reasoned with. You're smart enough to know you couldn't help Ed with your health deteriorating like it is. We should've known your reasons were deeper than just guilt, but we didn't discuss it with you. Instead, we forced you to face the very nightmares you were trying to avoid. We made you talk about them before you were ready, and I can't apologize to you enough for that." He paused to take another deep breath. "I'm also sorry for what you suffered through." He put a hand up when Roy looked like he was about to protest. "I've known you for a long time now. You may not have physically suffered, but the Drachmans had been watching you. They knew that wasn't the way to break you. You'd go through hell and back if it meant sparing any of us pain, but you had to witness your youngest subordinate getting tortured and were forced to inflict some of it yourself. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't even imagine how you feel."

The two men were silent. Roy turned sideways on the bed, leaning against the wall and bringing his knees to his chest.

"I also have to thank you. I wish you would've talked to us sooner, but I understand why you didn't. You wanted to spare us from imagining the Chief…."

He shook his head, not wanting to remember what he'd heard just hours previously.

 _That kid's like our younger brother. I can't believe that bastard thought he had any right to…._

Roy clenched his eyes shut and rested his forehead on his knees. Jean could hear his shuddering breaths. He didn't hesitate to move next to his commanding officer and wrap an arm around his shoulders. The Colonel tensed for a brief moment before slowly relaxing in the embrace.

"I know you thought you were doing what was best for the team, but that's too much to bear alone, Colonel. You're not alone in this." His arm tightened around Roy. "We're going to find Ed and make those bastards pay for everything they've done to him, and we're all going to be there for each other every step of the way, all right?"

His superior didn't respond, and Jean couldn't get himself to break the now comforting silence that engulfed them. After a few minutes, he felt Roy lean a little more against his shoulder. Only then did he notice the man's eyes had closed and his breathing evened out. He grinned to himself.

The Colonel was getting some much needed sleep, and no one on the team had forced him to get it.

He shifted against the wall, trying to get comfortable without disturbing his commanding officer. His smile faded when he thought back to the earlier events of the day, but he shook his head.

 _Tomorrow's a new day. It might have been unwillingly, but we now know what the Colonel's been bottling up. We all need to process it together. We all need to work through it together._

 _We all have to find Ed together._

He closed his own eyes and started to drift off himself.

"Thank you, Jean."

His smile returned.

"No problem, Boss," he mumbled.

He might have been slightly uncomfortable, but he still managed to drift off to sleep. He might have woken up a couple of times throughout the night with a crick in his neck, but he didn't dare move. He would stay there as long as his commanding officer— _his friend—_ could sleep through the night.

 ***break***

Ed leaned his head back and closed his eyes. A second later, a bucketful of ice cold water was dumped on him. He shivered as he was once again soaked to the bone. He automatically tried to wrap his arms around himself, but the handcuffs kept his wrists secure behind his back.

"What did I tell you about falling asleep, brat?"

He looked up to see Corin towering over him, still sporting the black eye that resulted in him getting handcuffed a day previously. When he didn't answer, a swift kick to the ribs sent him sprawling away from the wall he'd been leaning on and onto the ground. His curled in on himself, expecting an onslaught of kicks to follow. The urge to cry nearly overwhelmed him. He couldn't recall a time he'd ever been so exhausted. He couldn't even keep track of how long he'd been awake.

 _Why the hell won't they let me sleep?_

But he refused to let any tears fall. No matter how exhausted he was. No matter how much his injuries ached and scream in agony. He couldn't let those monsters see that.

But the onslaught of kicks never came.

"I think that's enough for now, Corin. How long did you keep him awake this time? Four days?"

The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees at the voice. Ed hadn't even realized someone else entered the cell. A set of footsteps made their way closer to him, but he could barely hear them over the sound of his chattering teeth.

 _Just let me sleep._

"Five days, sir," Corin answered.

The young alchemist wasn't surprised by the answer. The days blurred together. He used to keep track with the guard rotations, but Corin realized he'd picked up on that and the rotations became sporadic. At least around his cell.

 _They won't let me sleep. They won't even let me keep track of the time. They still won't let me see Mustang._

He'd never felt so alone.

A pair of black boots soon obstructed his line of sight. The newcomer knelt down, and he was soon face to face with Vincent. He instinctively shut his eyes. The deranged man laughed, causing him to shiver from more than just the cold.

"I haven't seen you in almost a week, Edward, and the first thing you do when you see me is try to sleep. That's incredibly rude of you." Vincent turned Ed over onto his back and ran his thumbs under Ed's eyes, which opened back up automatically. "There are those beautiful eyes of yours. I really missed them, but I'm afraid I had my own business to attend to this past week."

 _Just let me sleep._

Ed closed his eyes again, ignoring the stinging that followed. He didn't have to see his own reflection to know his eyes were completely bloodshot.

 _Just let me sleep._

He felt Vincent's arms slipping under his back and knees. His head fell against the man's shoulder when he was picked up. He was too exhausted to put up any sort of fight.

"Just let me sleep…."

He tensed when he realized he'd spoken out loud since he certainly hadn't meant to. He could feel the rumble in Vincent's chest as he spoke.

"We can arrange for that, but I have some conditions, Edward."

He felt Vincent turn to the left when they exited the cell, dread pooling in his stomach when he realized what direction they were going. He couldn't do anything but listen as the footsteps carried him down the hall. Much to his surprise, Vincent was silent. The sound of the man's boots against the floor started to lull him to sleep. Just as he thought unconsciousness was finally claiming him, his captor nudged him with his shoulder.

"I'm afraid you can't sleep just yet."

The Drachman came to a halt, having to maneuver the kid in his arms a bit to unlock the door. Ed opened his eyes when Vincent carried him in, even though he'd already predicted the sight that awaited him.

He was back in Vincent's room.

The man set him down on the bed and unlocked the handcuffs before turning back to his dresser. He willed himself to move, but he remained slouched on the edge of the bed with his arms lying limp by his sides.

 _Please…just let me sleep…._

Vincent returned within seconds, grinning at his weakened state. He wasted no time in yanking the drenched shirt off of him. Almost carefully, he helped Ed get his arms through the sleeves of a warm, dry shirt. After cuffing his captive's hands behind his back again, he wrapped Ed up in a blanket and situated himself against the headboard.

"I'll let you sleep, but only in here with me," he said as he adjusted Ed so the kid's head was in his lap. "For my kindness, you'll also be spending some quality time with me when you wake up. I think that's only—now don't give me that look, Edward. I'm letting you sleep. If I'd left you with Corin, he and the others probably would've kept you awake for another day or two."

Ed's skin crawled when Vincent's hands carded through his hair, stopping to gently work out the tangles. Against his wishes, his eyes drooped shut. He half-expected Vincent to nudge him again, but the man didn't move him. For the first time in days, no one shook him awake. No one kicked him. No one dumped ice cold water on him.

But for the first time in days and despite his earlier desires, he didn't want to sleep. Not here. Not with Vincent.

His body had other ideas, though. His exhaustion crashed into him like a tidal wave, sweeping him away into darkness, but not before Vincent's words echoed in his mind one last time.

" _For my kindness, you'll also be spending some quality time with me when you wake up."_

 **And there it is! I hope you all enjoyed getting to see a bit more into Roy/Jean's friendship. But poor Ed. No one should be forced to stay awake that long…oh well.**

 **Next chapter will be Ed-centric, so you know what that means! (More fun with Vincent, in case anyone was lost). Again, thank you all so much for your patience! I'll soon be in a place in life when my schedule will be a bit more predictable, so updates should be coming more frequently.**

 **Anyways, until then!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Greetings! It's been awhile, but I have returned with another chapter for this completely light-hearted and in no way angsty companion fic! As promised, we'll get some more time with our favorite blond alchemist. Let's get on with it!**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

 _I'm…warm…._

That realization did nothing to help Ed fight off the exhaustion threatening to pull him back into unconsciousness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually been warm and comfortable. Attempting to stretch his arms, he found they were cuffed behind his back.

 _What the hell…_

He slowly peeled his eyes open, dread seeping into his bones once he took in the unfortunately familiar room. As best he could, he rolled over onto his back, freezing when he found himself alone in the bed. He blinked, as if his tormentor would instantly appear.

Vincent was nowhere in sight.

Maneuvering back over on his side and twisting his arms, he clapped and touched the cuffs binding his wrists. He bolted to his feet. The room spun around him, and he had to catch himself on the bedframe before he collapsed.

 _I need to…find Mustang…._

He took a few deep breaths and slowly lifted himself from his crutch. After making sure he had his balance, he crept toward the door. Hesitantly, he turned the door knob.

 _Click._

He flinched at the sound and held his breath. No one barged into the room. Cracking the door open, he peeked into the hallway only to find it empty. He quietly exited the room, not even bothering to shut the door. He leaned against the wall for support as he made his way down the hall. His heart plummeted when he heard the slam of a door echoing throughout the base, footsteps following just a second later. He wrapped his arms around himself and froze, eyes clenched shut.

The tension slowly melted away as the footsteps drifted off in the opposite direction.

Daring to take another deep breath, he opened his eyes and continued onward to the end of the hall. Pressing his back against the wall, he peered around the corner. Just as he was about to move, a hand gripped his hair and flung him into the wall, his aching ribs screaming upon impact. He slumped to the ground like a ragdoll and could feel a shadow looming over him.

"Edward," a familiar and chilling voice echoed down the mostly empty hallway, "I extended the courtesy of allowing you to sleep in my very own room—my very own _bed_ —to you, and you dare to reject my kindness."

Despite the lecturing, Ed could hear the sinister upward curve of the man's lips. The hand returned to his hair and yanked him to his feet. He was turned around and slammed against the wall, forcing a grunt out of him. He'd managed to turn his head in just enough time to prevent a broken nose. His flesh arm was twisted behind his back to the point he swore it would snap. Vincent leaned in closer, his lips right next to Ed's ear.

"Maybe I should let you see Colonel Mustang. Your commanding officer needs to teach you some manners." Just as the tiniest flutter of hope sparked in Ed's chest, Vincent was all too ready to crush it. He let out a choked sob when the man slowly started to rotate his captive wrist. "Although, you're supposed to be punished, and letting you see the Colonel would definitely not be a punishment for you."

Ed clenched his eyes shut again when tears began welling in them.

"Please…." he whispered.

Vincent merely chuckled, the grip on his arm tightening even more.

"We've got some time before you need this."

A sickening crack and anguished scream resonated throughout the halls. The tears previously brimming Ed's eyes gushed down his face. If Vincent hadn't kept him firmly pinned to the wall, he would have collapsed. His captor wrapped his arms around the kid, trapping his automail and broken arm against his sides. Fire shot up the flesh limb as he was dragged away. He didn't even have the energy to put up a fight.

After what seemed to be an endless amount of twists and turns, they finally came to a stop. Vincent carelessly dropped him. He automatically threw his arms out to catch himself, but cried out when his broken arm collapsed underneath him. Without missing a beat, Vincent kicked him over onto his back. Cold metal clamped around his flesh wrist, and he could hear the click of the other manacle securing his automail hand. He closed his eyes as Vincent's footsteps drifted away, waiting for the metal grating of the cell door shutting to grace his ears.

Instead, he was greeted with rattling chains and a harsh yank on his arms. He bit his lip in a vain attempt to contain his discomfort, but the strain on his broken arm worsened as Vincent kept pulling the chain until he was hanging off the ground.

"You didn't think I'd actually leave you alone, did you?" Vincent chuckled. "After all, you should remember my deal. I let you get some sleep, so you get to spend some quality time with me."

Ed could have sworn his heart plummeted down into his stomach. He dared to look up as his captor swiftly approached him with a hand on his chin and brow furrowed. The Drachman stopped just in front of the young blond and tilted his head to the side. He watched the man reach around to his back pocket. He whipped out a cloth and wiped his hands on it, staining it red. Only then did Ed realize some of his wounds must have reopened during his encounter with Vincent. He quickly stepped around the young alchemist, not even giving the kid a chance to react before he pulled the cloth between his teeth and tied it around the back of his head.

" _Sorry, kid. You almost bit your tongue off last time. I can't risk that happening again."_

Ed's eyes bulged out of his skull when Vincent lifted up his shirt and he felt the metal prods against his bare skin. His muscles seized as electricity pulsed through his body. The sound of rattling chains echoed off the walls, nearly drowning out the muffled screech ripping itself out of Ed's throat. His newly broken limb screamed as he convulsed, the bones scraping against each other with every movement. His attempts to twist away from his captor were in vain.

There was no escaping the agony.

Suddenly, Vincent stopped. Ed's head slumped down to his chest, the rag in his mouth making it more difficult to catch his breath. The chill of the metal travelled up toward his chest. The kid barely got in a deep enough breath before he was shocked again. Panic flared through him when his captor didn't stop and the edges of his vision started to fade. Ed's chest tightened, unable to get any oxygen. All too quickly, black dots danced across his vision and he was plunged into darkness.

 ***break***

The throbbing in Ed's arm slowly brought him further back into consciousness. His chest was heaving with each breath he took. He realized only a moment later that the cloth had been taken out of his mouth. That brought him a little relief.

 _I can actually breathe._

He groaned and rolled over onto his side despite the protests of his stiff and sore body. He couldn't even begin to guess how long he'd been unconscious.

"It's about time you woke up, you little freak."

The blond flinched at the unexpected voice. He looked toward the cell door where Corin stood, leaning against the wall. He watched the man bend down and pick up a glass and plate off the ground. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to scramble away from the Drachman as he approached, but the fire shooting through his flesh arm prevented him from getting anywhere.

"Relax, kid, I'm not going to hurt you now," Corin sighed. He stopped once he was towering over the kid, making Ed definitely question his words. The man simply set the glass and plate down next to the young alchemist. "Vincent wanted me to make sure you ate, so you better eat this, kid. If I come back and it's still here, I'm shoving it down your throat myself."

With that, he swiftly turned around and exited the cell. Ed swallowed before using his automail arm to slowly push himself up and lean back against the wall. His head lolled toward the side, the food and water in plain view. After taking a few deep breaths, he reached for the water. He sighed when he took a sip, the cool water soothing his aching throat. He had to stop himself from guzzling the rest of it in one go.

He set his gaze back on the plate. A lone piece of bread sat on it. It took everything he had not to throw up at the thought of actually consuming it, but he had no doubt that Corin would follow through on his threat. He picked up the bread and cringed when he took the first bite. It was dry and tasted atrocious, but the seemingly ever-present dry blood in his mouth probably attributed to that. After what seemed to be an eternity of chewing, he managed to swallow it down. His stomach ached, but after waiting a few minutes to ensure he wouldn't vomit, he cautiously ate the rest of the bread. He gulped down the rest of the water and laid back against the wall.

Then the room started spinning.

He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing once his head started aching and his stomach started churning. Carefully, he managed to lay himself on his side, but the pounding only intensified and his nausea worsened. He threaded his automail fingers through his hair and clutched his head, as if that would make the room still and his headache go away, but he wasn't so lucky. He opened his eyes again, now face-to-face with the empty plate and glass.

 _Vincent really won't give me a break, will he? Couldn't even let me eat without drugging me._

The arrays strewn about the cell walls melded together, the lines and symbols becoming quite fuzzy. He jumped at the metallic grating of the cell door, his stomach flipping in protest and the sound assaulting his already pounding head. He scrunched his eyes shut and opened them again, but his vision was still blurry.

However, that didn't stop him from seeing some sort of figure walking toward him wearing familiar blue pants.

 _That's the same color as our military uniforms…._

He shifted his gaze toward the person's head, instantly noting the black hair despite the blurriness.

 _Mustang?_

"C…C-Colonel?"

The man didn't answer and silently approached the young alchemist. He knelt down by his side. Ed's stomach flipped again when he was hit with the subtle scent of smoke, but he couldn't get himself to care. He tilted his head closer to the man's legs.

 _I'd know that scent anywhere. He's here. Mustang's really here._

A rough hand caressed his face, and he instinctively leaned into the touch.

"Colonel…." He breathed. The flame alchemist still didn't answer him, but that didn't matter. The man was here, and that was more than enough. "A-are…are you all—wait…."

Mustang gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead before rising to his feet. His figure still might have been blurry, but it was obvious he was making no move to look back at his subordinate.

 _But…he just got here. He can't leave…._

"Please…." Ed whispered.

Mustang continued toward the door. Despite his sore throat, the blond managed to find his voice.

"Please don't leave me! At least promise you'll come back, Colonel!"

Again, he was denied any sign that the man even acknowledged his plea. The door creaked as it opened, sending a sharp stab right through Ed's head.

"Please come back," he begged.

He wasn't sure the man had even heard him, but the faint laughter floating through from the other side of the door certainly meant someone had.

 **Well, there it is! I hope you all enjoyed some fun time with Ed! I once again apologize for such a long wait on the update and for a shorter chapter than the others, but this just seemed to be the best place to end it. The fun will continue, but maybe with some Parental!RoyAl breaks along the way! Anyways, the next chapter for The Sun Still Rises is in the works. It is my intention to finish that sooner rather than later, but we'll have to see! Until next time!**


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